a complicated love story
by VilliansNotHeroes
Summary: au and repost.: Ava's decided to go with her heart and her gut instinct about Dean Ambrose, despite her father, Triple H's adamant disapproval of him. With a mobster ex husband closing in, plotting revenge, and having to keep things low key, will Ava and Dean manage to make things work out? Or will everyone turn out to be right about Dean Ambrose? r&r ?
1. bios and summary of plot

{ Ava Maddison Jensen - Levesque }

Age:

24

MM/DD of birth:

July 5th

Hometown:

Queens, NY

Billed From:

Queens, NY

Height:

5'5

Weight:

135 lbs estimated

Build:

Athletic/Curvy

Ethnicity:

Puerto Rican / Caucasian

Hair, Eyes, Stand Out Features:

Ava has long light brown hair and light brown eyes. She's got a tan complexion and she's muscular in body build. She's not some glamour girl, and she knows it, doesn't bother pretending to be. The one feature she does think stands out on her body are her legs.

{AVA}

Tattoos :

1 - she's got a cross on her shoulder, has her daughter's name spelled out on the inside going vertically, and her daughter's birthday the words 'mommy's little fighter' going horizontally.

Scars:

2- typical c section scar and a scar that trails across her forehead, usually hidden by her bangs. She got it in a car accident when she was younger, her head hit a window.

Personality:

She's pretty laid back and down to Earth mostly, but every now and then, she meets people she just does not like. At all. And she doesn't mind telling them this, either. She's very protective of those closest to her, especially her 3 year old daughter Lola, and she won't hesitate to fight for family or friends. She's competitive and she can be a little tempermental if pushed by someone. When she doesn't agree to something, no amount of threatening her, begging her or bribing her will make her do something. She doesn't like to tell others about her problems, she's too proud to ask someone for help. She's determined and she thinks fast on her feet. She's also very spontaneous and can be a bit of a flirt. She won't turn down a dare either and she's a bit of a show off and occasionally, a flirt because she's passionate,romantic,etc. The youngest child of 4, the other three children all being male, and growing up in a neighborhood full of males made Ava a bit of a tomboy as a child, and she's still pretty much the same way, but she does enjoy dressing up now and then.

Likes / Dislikes:

Likes:

loves going for long drives and to the beach, swimming all day until she's exhausted, and surfing is a passion.

music. she'll pretty much listen to anything, but she tends to listen more to stuff like Zepplin or Aerosmith or AC DC.

lizards. yes, she's a girl, no she's not afraid of insects/snakes/reptiles.

the colors green or sky blue.

snow cones

playing with her daughter. she's one of those moms you see on the playground actually braving the jungle gym and showing off.

mismatched socks

sleeping late

lying around in bed all day, watching cartoons or Disney movies with her little girl.

going to different places around the world. she's had a passport since she was about 13 (because her aunts and uncles, etc all live back in Puerto Rico, she visited with her parents as a kid) and it's well used.

motorcycles

cotton candy

fast cars

cooking.

baseball

football

basketball

Dislikes:

burning food

waking up too early

seeing her daughter cry or hurt or upset or sick

drama queens (think girls on the roster like Eve or the Bella Twins)

talking about her past and her personal life

nosy people who try and make her talk about her past or her personal life

Occupation:

former professional wrestler,will serves as a hair and makeup girl in the WWE. She fought there for a while before she had her daughter so she knows quite a few of the roster members already.

Her Car:

2013 Dodge Challenger

House when she's Not on the road with WWE:

Florida Keys Beach House

& here's the basics on her daughter, Lola

Full Name:

Lola Avril Jensen

Nicknames:

is called Lola mostly, except for AJ who calls her 'my little pony'.

Age:

3

Hair,Eyes,Etc:

Lola 1

Lola 2

Likes:

coloring

bright colors

playing hide and seek

baseball

unicorns

cupcakes

glitter

wears converses with everything

rock music

pokemon

stuffed animals

flowers

practical jokes

swimming

dancing

cartoons

going for long car rides

rollercoasters

sugar candy crush saga

being sung to

having her hair stroked until she falls asleep

wearing wings or crowns.

halloween

Dislikes:

big scary men

sudden loud noises

big dogs

sesame seeds on hamburger buns, she picks them off.

the color brown

being without a dad

burning marshmellows

dressing up

wearing shoes

waking up before she's ready

dolls, she'd much rather have some neat insect/reptile or a baseball or toy car

arguing

{Other Important Information}

_Side note: I'm sorry I keep taking this damn story down, but I'm a perfectionist, and if something doesn't sit right with me, it bugs me. So this is a NEW version of the two prior attempts from earlier today, and I'd love to know what you guys think, also who you think I should go for as far as Ava goes... I'm thinking Orton or Axle, but hey, I'm not going to turn down a few other opinions either._

_Oh and in this version, Lola's maybe almost a year old. I decided to make her much younger so that I could have some future cuteness with her, an idea I have going around in my head now._

*** Ava is the biological daughter of HHH, and he's been in and out of her life, as much as her mother (original character, deceased) and her jerk of an adoptive father, Ripley, would allow. She grew up in a house filled with arguing and fighting, because her mother and Ripley didn't really love one another, until at the age of 15 she went to live with her father, HHH and Stephanie, her stepmother.

She had a pretty normal life until she was about 20, then she met a guy named Ben. Unknown to her, Ben worked for her mother's husband, her adoptive father, Ripley, and he'd been hired to 'get close to her', because Ripley had always had an unhealthy obsession with her, and when she left to live with her father, he saw that as betrayal and he wanted revenge. Ben got her to fall in love with him, and eventually, she married him. They had a daughter named Lola, who is almost a year old at the start of this story, and at first, things were okay.

Then Ben began to become more and more controlling and more and more like her mother's husband Ripley, the man who adopted her. And when she tried to leave, he'd threaten their daughter and her own safety. She stays on until she just cant anymore , for one reason she's discovered the truth about Ben and why he's with her, and she's sickened and afraid now.

She gets out and then Ben and Ripley (her adoptive father, the mobster her mother was married to) start to try and come after her at any angle they father, HHH is protecting her of course, so they can't get to her, but she has a few close calls.

Meanwhile, she's started going to her real father, HHH's shows a lot more, occasionally filling in as hair and makeup, and she makes friends, attempts to get her head back on straight, in the process, meeting someone (**choices are Orton, Axle or Ambrose because those are the three I'm torn between currently**)

The bad thing about this, is that the man she starts to fall for, (**orton, axle or ambrose**) is not one her father really likes that much. So now she's got to deal with not only having to stay one step ahead of the ex and her adoptive father, but she's also got to deal with trying to make peace between her father and the man she starting to fall for.

This is the basic outline I have in mind for the story, but with much more twists and turns.

First chapter will be up as soon as I revise it and stuff. Hope everyone likes the idea, and to anyone who had read the first two versions, and liked them, sorry, I just wanted something I could have going for a while. This idea wouldn't leave me alone, so I took the other two versions down and am going to leave this one up, promise.

-Jess


	2. prologue - you can always go home

_12:30 AM_

Ava was still coming down from the shock of what she'd just done, and what she'd learned about her new husband Ben that'd made her do what she'd done tonight as a result. She was sick, she was scared and most importantly, she was furious with herself.

How the hell could she have been so stupid? How could she have fallen for Ben so completely and been so blind as to what was really at play, right in front of her eyes. She sighed as her daughter began to cry on cue and then she pulled to the side of the road, checking the time, and then her daughter's diaper, then her bottle.

"We're almost back where we belong, little bit." Ava muttered as she stroked the nearly 1 year old little girl's full cheek and sighed to herself. "And mommy will never make a mistake like that again.. I just hope I can get us safely out of this one, little bit."

Her father's house came into sight, and right away, she felt this sense of relief wash over her and she knew she'd done the right thing, the best thing she could have done when she'd fought Ben back tonight, rendered him unconcious (apparently, her brief time training to become a professional wrestler in her late teens had really stuck with her) and then got the hell out of Dodge, so to speak.

She breathed a ragged sigh of relief as she pulled into the driveway, and just let everything she'd just been through sink in, looking across the car at her sleeping daughter.

Was it worth it?

You're damn straight it was.

And then, before she could stop herself, she was crying and shaking. All of the left over anger and the fear she'd felt for a while now, and the shock of what she now knew about her former husband, Ben as well as her adoptive father, Ripley.

Just how far the man had been willing to go, to get revenge on her for picking her real father, over him when she'd moved in with HHH when she'd been a teenager.

She shuddered as she thought about it again, and a bitter scowl crossed her lips momentarily as she looked up and realized her father was standing on the porch. She raked her hand through her long and light brown hair as she got out of the car, tried her best to compose herself and with shaky legs, she walked up the stairs, hugging herself and her daughter Lola tightly against her father as she continued to cry.

"Is everything alright?" Hunter asked as he looked at his daughter, eyes filled with concern. She looked up and managed a weak smile as she said quietly, "It is now, dad."

He raised a brow but she said quietly, "I'll explain when we're inside.. I need to sit.. Tonight's been strange.. And scary.."

"This have something to do with that little bastard Ben you married?" Hunter asked as he made his daughter look at him, waited patiently for an answer, trying to decide which bones he was going to break on the little prick she'd married first.

"Yes. Ben, daddy.. He.." Ava trailed off, biting her lip, the shock starting to wear off as she sighed and said quietly, "I know you and Stephanie noticed I haven't been calling or visiting anymore, since we got married shortly before I had Lola.."

"Yeah?"

"It's because he was forcing me to stay away.. he kept saying if I tried to contact anyone outside of me and him, he'd hurt you or Stephanie, one of my sisters or Lola and.."

"That little piece of shit." Hunter swore as he said quietly, "I never liked the bastard, but when you wouldn't stop seeing the kid, I kept tellin myself it was just because I was your daddy, nobody was ever gonna be good enough.. Now though.. Now I wish I would have done what I started to do, objected when you two got married."

"I wish you had too.. I wish I'd ran like I wanted to."

Ava waited a few moments and then added quietly, "Daddy, you should know.. That's not all.. Apparently, his even meeting me was set up by that bastard my mother married, Ripley.. He wanted to get even with me for coming here to live with you and Stephanie when I found out what he did for a living, how much danger I could be in and I finally got sick of his being creepy in general."

"What do you mean he's the reason you met Ben?" Hunter asked as he studied his oldest child intently, his stomach churning, the rage he felt barely being contained at this point.

"He arranged for Ben to meet me.. Ben, apparently, from what I gather, was supposed to make me fall for him, marry him.. And like a fucking idiot, I did. I never once suspected a thing, Dad."

"That son of a bitch. I'm going to kill him, that's it. Of all the fucked up things to do.." Hunter swore as he lightly punched the wall next to the door, glaring out the window on the heavy wooden door in anger.

"You're home now, Ava. Nothing's gonna hurt you. And if those two bastards try anything, I will kill them. We'll figure something out in the morning, and tell Steph.. For now, go get some sleep."

Ava nodded and carried her sleeping daughter up the stairs, into her old room. After setting up an old crib of Vaughns she found in the playroom, she flopped onto her old bed and looked up at the ceiling in anger, biting her lip.

How was she ever supposed to trust anyone again?

And more importantly, what were Ben and her mother's former husband, Ripley, the mob connected bastard that'd forced her mother into letting him adopt her, going to do to her, when they caught up to her?

Because she had to face it. They would, inevitably, catch up to her. And knowing her mother's former husband like she did, she had the feeling that he was going to make sure she felt his anger for abandoning him then, and leaving Ben tonight.

"Only I would get wrapped up in some crazy next level shit like this. It's a wonder he hasn't put a hit on me or something, the crazy fuck." Ava muttered to herself as she rolled over in her old bed, tried to get some sleep.

But she couldn't, because it was entirely too quiet. And every sudden noise in the night she heard only had her sitting up in the bed in a blind panic.

Punching her pillow, she shoved her head beneath it, and finally, at about 2 am or after, she got some sleep.

Hunter trudged up the hallway and into the room he shared with Stephanie, falling back into bed as Stephanie asked, "Everything okay?"

"It will be, babe. Ava's home with Lola. I finally won't lie here at night wondering if she's okay, if she's safe with that bastard, Ben. I'll explain everything in the morning.. Can we just sleep?"

"Yeah. I'm glad she's home. I hated that little jerk Ben from the second I met him.. "

"But if we'd tried to stop her any more than we did, she wouldn't have come back here tonight." Hunter muttered as he let himself go to sleep. As a father, it was a huge relief to know that Ava was back at home, away from that little bastard he'd hated almost on sight, but tolerated because he saw how happy Ava was at first.

Now that she was away from Ben, maybe she'd finally find real happiness. But Hunter knew one thing now, and that's that at least she was safe, she'd been strong enough to get out of the mess she'd gotten into.

He just hoped to God she'd be okay again, eventually, learn to trust people again. Apparently, she was going to go down this road for a second time in her life. They'd already helped through this sort of issue when she'd first come to live with them as a teenager.

Now it looked like they'd all be doing it again.

But maybe this time, things would work out better for Ava.

Even though as her father, he'd already developed the biased mindset that nobody would ever be good enough for his daughter, any of them, really.

But hopefully, if she did find someone to trust again, he'd be a lot better than this bastard Ben had been. All he wanted was for her to be happy again, smile again.


	3. prlogue- you can always go home 2

_Next Morning, 6 hours before Smackdown_

Ava sat up the second she heard her little girl cry. She stretched and she raked her hand through sleep tossed light brown hair, and stood, promptly tripping on her own two feet. Regaining her footing, she walked the few inches to the crib her daughter lie in, picked her up and held her against her.

Lola was too little to understand everything now, but what in the hell would she tell her when she was older, and Lola inevitably asked where her father was?

What if the worst happened, and she was asking that bastard Ben where her mother was? She wasn't an idiot, she knew about Ripley and Ben's mob ties, if they wanted, they could fabricate anything and get a judge to turn over custody to him.

And that'd mean her adoptive father, Ripley, well he'd finally have the revenge against her for her 'betrayal' when she'd chosen to leave him after her mother's death, go to live with her birth father, Paul Levesque..

Ava grumbled and bit down hard on her lip, wincing as the pain sprang forth and she tasted the bitter copperiness of her blood. "There is no way in hell those two assholes are getting their hands on my daughter. My dad's got connections too and I'm pretty sure my stepgrandfather will figure something out."

Even as she reassured herself this, she had a tiny nagging thought in the back of her mind.. What if the worst case scenario happened and she never got to see her little girl again?

This made her angry, more determined to somehow find a way to keep that from happening. The door being knocked on had her surfacing from her own mind for a moment as her stepmother Stephanie called from the other side, "Sweetie? You awake?"

"Yeah, mom.. Both of us are awake. I'll be down in a minute." she said as she rummaged around in her bags, found a tanktop and slid it down then wiggled into some jeans. Changing Lola's diaper and dressing her in her onesie only took a few seconds and soon she was sitting at the breakfast table, everyone looking at her, waiting on an explanation.

She bit her lips, told her stepmother everything she'd told her father, HHH the night before. Stephanie gaped as she listened, let what her stepdaughter had been a victim of sink in.

"That no good, rotten son of a bi.." Stephanie bit back her words and then stood and said "Going to call dad, sweetie. From the sound of it, we're definitely going to a lawyer."

"If he hasn't put a hit out on me for leaving him already, you mean." Ava said grimly, as her father shot her a dirty look and said "That little prick's lucky I didn't drive there last night, or he wouldn't have had to worry about breathing another breath. And if he thinks he's going to do something stupid and show up and try and hurt you or pay someone else to? I'll break his neck."

Stephanie explained the situation to her father and Vince sighed as he said calmly, "I'll call the legal team, you just make sure she stays with you two. Bring her on the road. She's safer."

"Trust me. She's not getting out of our sight, dad." Stephanie said as she hung up and walked back into the dining room, explained what her father offered Ava.

Ava blinked and then said "Yeah? I can do makeup, I mean I got my cosmetology license.." and then it sank in that if she worked for the show, she'd be moving around constantly.

It was less likely that Ben would show up and create chaos or hurt her family, or her, or most importantly, her little girl, Lola.

And if he were stupid enough to show up? Well any case he'd have, should he try and take her to court would be blown straight to hell.

Ava knew all this, but she couldn't help the intense fear or the overall omnious feeling of something bad waiting just ahead for her that crept it's way in and took hold, yet again.

Was she ever going to get a chance to have a normal and worry free life, ever again? Would she ever trust anyone again? She'd been lied to so many times before and for so long, she kind of wondered if her family were the only people left on Earth who didn't mind telling the truth, even when the truth hurt.

Hunter spoke up and said "Ava? You alright?"

"Yeah, dad, just thinking.." Ava sighed as she picked her daughter up, walked up the stairs and back into her room. What she needed was a plan. Because now, every threat Ben (or Ripley for that matter) ever made were rattling around in Ava's mind, and she didn't want to be the cause of someone she cared about or loved being hurt in the long run.

But how does one go against an angry mobster hell bent on revenge, with his right hand man also gunning for you, simultaneously.

"If you're listening, God.. It'd be nice to have a break. I.. I just don't know if I'm strong enough to handle all of this coming at me left and right.. And I'll die and burn in hell before I let those two jerks take my daughter from me or hurt my family."

She felt this odd sense of relief, but she knew better than to get too caught up in it. Still, she spent the rest of the day formulating an exit strategy that just might keep everyone safe, and her daughter with her and not those two snakes.

Downstairs, Hunter groaned quietly and asked his wife, "So.. Do you think she's up there trying to plan everything out so that nobody but her gets hurt?"

Stephanie nodded and then said quietly, a confident voice as she looked at her husband, "Yes, most likely, she thinks a lot like I do, and that's the very thing I'd be doing.. Let's just concentrate on getting her safely out of this so she doesn't have to use it, okay?"

"Oh definitely. I'm half tempted to just show up at that son of a bitch's house, go on a rampage."

"Hunter, he fights dirty.. If you do that, he'll use it against her."

"That's the only damn reason I haven't yet, babe.. But we're going to get him this time. We have to."

"Yes, we do."

Upstairs, Ava held her daughter, as she tried to keep her mind from wandering and dreaming up the worst possible scenario as she said quietly, in a grim and sarcastic tone of voice, "When I screw up, baby girl.. I really go all out, don't I?"

There had to be a way out of this, there just had to be.. Little did she realize that tonight, she'd be put in the first of many hairy positions and she'd have her answer from the prayer uttered moments ago, although she wouldn't realize it.

But this was only the beginning of a long and very messed up and complicated situation.


	4. ch 1 - a run in with fate

_2 Hours Before Smackdown_

Her father liked to get everywhere early so they were already at the arena when a sleazy suit wearing man walked in, sniffing around, his eyes full of disdain for the atmosphere. HHH nudged Stephanie and said quietly, "He's already up to something.. I can just feel it."

Ava was getting her workstation ready when the man found and approached her, accordingly and said snidely, "This is no enviorment to raise your child in, Ms. Levesque."

Ava gave him an annoyed look over and ignored him, continuing her work. Until he handed her papers and she read them, her anger immediately surging. "Oh, so he thinks he can do this and get away with it.." she muttered out loud as the man shrugged, walked out of the area dedicated to hair and makeup backstage. Ava growled and flipped off the open doorway, flopped into a chair and after pulling a pair of black square framed and plastic rimmed reading glasses from her pocket, she began to read, as she held her daughter in her arms.

"That no good, low down, shit for brains son of a..." she muttered as she heard a loud and hard knock and called out a bit more angrily than she'd like, "Come in."

The door opened and Dean Ambrose stepped into the room, his hand in his hair, looking around. "Apparently they're gonna give me ring gear?" he muttered, looking at the makeup girl with a raised brow as he asked warily, "Who are you and where the hell is Bertha?"

"Bertha quit, Mr. Ambrose. Who I am really doesn't matter, now does it?" Ava asked stiffly. She'd heard about him, his tricks, the way he acted all the time, so you bet she was going into this with her guard way up, especially given that she always seemed to fall for the wrong kind of guy.

And according to most, Dean Ambrose, aka Jon Good, was probably as wrong kind of man to fall for as they came. Still, she had to admit, the camera didn't really do the guy justice, not that she was looking at him or anything.

So she was.

"Stand over there, give me a second. I was reading something." Ava muttered as she stood, went to put Lola in her playpen.. Lola, to her distinct surprise and dismay, seemed to have other ideas, and she pointed to the man, giggled a little, made a few cooing sounds.

Dean raised a brow and asked, "Who's kid?"

"I kidnapped her." Ava deadpanned, still more than a little pissed off at the lawyer Ben sent and the things the lawyer claimed, the things the statements on the paper claimed. None of them true, of course, but hey.. When you have mob ties and an assload of money, everyone has their price.. Including apparently, her former neighbor and sort of friend.

"No need in bein a bitch." Dean muttered as he studied her intently, fascinated. So he'd heard that the bosses baby girl was going to be their new costume/hair and makeup tech and he'd had to satisfy his curiousity. So far, she seemed to be the stuck up, bitchy little princess that he figured she'd be.

Ava bit her lip. Her one thing that could really be considered a huge flaw on her part, one of many, was that she didn't like starting off on the wrong foot with people, no matter how quickly they might come to deserve it in the long run.

She could have been nicer to him, despite everything she'd heard about him. She bit her lip as she looked up at him and then said quietly, "I, umm.. Sorry, okay, look, it's been one hell of a week for me."

Dean snickered and asked deadpan, "Why? They run out of hooker red at the nail salon, babe?"

Ava flipped him off covertly so her little girl didn't see then said "Yeah.. I wish."

"Can't be that serious, I mean hell, you're loaded, princess.. Why not just pay someone off to make whatever it is disappear?" Dean asked in curiousity, then mentally swore at himself, not even sure why in the hell he really cared.

After all, she was married into the McMahons, stood to reason she'd probably had life on easy street, as opposed to his own where most of the time he didn't know where his next meal was coming from much less if there'd even be a next meal.

She'd started to put Lola into the playpen nearby so she could start his measurements, but then Dean cleared his throat and said "Lemme see her?"

"Why exactly?" Ava asked, warily, her brow raised.

Dean shrugged and reached out reluctantly, taking the little 1 year old from her mom, laughing as he read the onesie/dress she was wearing and rolled his eyes to himself.

The kid's onesie said 'My First Little Black Dress'. Kind of told him, or so he thought, all he needed to know about mommy, he had to assume.

Ava took Lola back from him quickly, and he looked at her with a raised brow.. if he didn't know any better, she was scared of him.

This, naturally, fascinated him. He'd yet to do anything to earn that fear, and she was fucking terrified of him as if he had.

He could practically smell it radiating off of her in waves. Lola, the little girl on the other hand, seemed to like him for some damn reason, and she fussed when Ava took her back.

"So.. You must be babysitting." Dean guessed, trying to make idle small talk while he tried to ignore the way she was knelt in front of him, trying to ignore how her hands felt when they accidentally brushed his skin as she slid the measuring tape into the various different places it was needed.

For a spoiled little bitch, she certainly seemed to have his attention at the moment.

Ava stood, jotted down the numbers from his lower body, then started to work on measuring his upper body, he stepped back, took off his white t shirt, tossing it to the side as he shrugged casually and said with a smirk, "The damn tops, they never seem to fit right if I let the designer measure while I'm wearin a t shirt."

Ava tried her best not to gawk at his muscular arms and chest, but she wound up biting her lip and muttering, "No.. I'm not babysitting. Lola's my daughter."

Dean coughed, clearing his throat as he raised his brow. Suddenly, it made sense.. Or at least in his own screwed up mind..

"Ahh." he murmured as Ava looked at him and asked stiffly, "What the hell does ahh mean?"

Dean shrugged, kept quiet. Seeing as how she had a tape measure, and several sharp needles nearby, he didn't see the sense in pressing the issue.

Her cell phone ringing kept her from doing what she wanted, or at least the thing she wanted to do that she was willing to admit to and she rolled her eyes, held up a finger as she stepped away to take the call, unaware that Dean was getting an ear full.

And it was amusing, and intriguing him.

"So, did you get my present?" Ben asked as he smirked, clicked the Ruger sitting on the table in front of him off safety and said simply, "Like it or not, Ava.. You will come back to me.. That is if you want your precious family, that annoying little brat of ours kept safe."

"Is that so, Ben? Cause see, I don't think so. You can serve me all the fucking papers you want, make all the threats you want, but this time, I'm done.. And I've got help."

"Aww, how cute.. Like your washed up professional wrestler daddy is gonna do anything."

Ava slammed the phone down on the table and Dean cleared his throat and said "Who the fuck was that?"

"None of your business. Your costume will be ready in a day or two, tops." Ava said as she looked at him, waiting on him to leave so she could burst into tears and fall apart on her own.

Dean walked out, curious about the Game's daughter, and about the bits and pieces of the conversation he'd just heard, and his assumptions about her..

Had he pegged her wrong? For now, he wasn't too sure. But he did get the feeling that she didn't trust him and possibly, she didn't much like him either..

Which was too bad for her, because he'd made up his mind just now.. Seeing her angry like that, seeing her go round for round with him verbally, well.. He was definitely going to make it his mission to get under her skin..

What he didn't realize, was that sadly, she was already under his skin.


	5. ch 2 - territorial men and daddies

_Backstage, During Raw About 2 Weeks Later_

"Somebody better grab Heyman's new toy before I break him." Dean snarled as he glared at Curts, who stood in his face, smirking defiantly.

"Wanna try that, Ambrose? Really?" Curtis asked dismissively as Dean smirked and gave him a firm shove backwards as he said "Hell yeah. Right here and right now. We don't need a ring, do we?"

"Hell no." Curtis stated as he glared at Dean, gave him a firm shove right back which of course lead to Dean punching him in the face. The fight was broken up and the two men glared openly at one another. Both of them were determined and neither was backing down.

But this wasn't just a normal flaring of the tempers, because earlier today, Curtis also had to have himself measured, fitted.. And of course, he'd come back in, bragging about how he was gonna get with 'daddy's little princess' just to piss daddy off. And making comments that the possessive and cocky, definitely slightly insane Dean Ambrose felt weren't his comments to make about the girl in question.

Not when Dean himself already had his sights on her, but through her own fault.. not part of some sick vendetta against the COO.

No, he wanted to get under her skin like she'd gotten under his. He enjoyed making her angry, it was the highlight of getting his 'hair and makeup' done lately, seeing just how many buttons he could push before she had to shove those small delicate hands of hers into her pockets just to keep from slapping him.

Dean was not the kind of guy who just walked away from something he wanted. And he wanted her for his own purposes, even though at this point in time, the man wasn't sure what those were, exactly.

"I'm gonna snap his fucking neck." Dean spat as he growled and glared at Curtis, Roman stepping in his view, blocking him.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Just going to show that little shit who's really on the top around here." Dean said calmly as he took a sip of bottled water before ultimately saying screw it, pouring it over his head to calm himself down or try to at least.

Curtis watched Dean Ambrose with an amused and mystifed expression as he leaned in and said to Paul Heyman, "I want that asshole in a match, Heyman. Make it happen."

Paul started to ask why but Curtis snapped "It's none of your damn business, just do your damn job and make it happen, got it?"

Paul set off to make the match happen, preferrably tonight so whatever this was would be out of his client's system and he could focus on bigger, better things.

As Paul scurried out, Dean said aloud, "Hey Axle?"

"What?"

"You just landed yourself in the middle of downtown deep shit, sunshine." Dean smirked coyly as he stood, threw the chair he'd been sitting in over and stormed out. He needed to get some air and calm down. He knew he'd just pulled a stupid move when he did that just now, but he was going to make one damn thing clear to every man in the back, now.

The new costume/hair/makeup girl?

His to do whatever the hell he wanted to do with. Not theirs. And the penalty for even looking was going to be death if he could help it.

The others looked at one another, then at Curtis and the doorway Dean had just stormed out of, a few of them whispering.

"What the literal hell was that?" Cody Rhodes asked as Damien Sandow shrugged then said back quietly, "Just Neanderthals being Neanderthals."

"No, the two of them usually keep a wide berth from one another. Something happened to change it. I wanna know what.. Don't you?" Cody asked as Damien rolled his eyes and said "Not particularly. I've seen Ambrose act like this before and usually, there's some twisted reason behind it. I suggest you stay as far away as possible."

Cody shrugged and then from behind him, Miz leaned in and whispered, "It's over that new costume and makeup girl, Ava.. I mean that's what I heard. She and Dean are always at one another's throat.. And today, Curtis chatted her up."

"Oh really.."

"Yes, really. My guess is Ambrose, in his own fucked up little universe likes her or something, I don't know how he'd even logically know that, she's only been here a few days now, tops, but anyway, in his own fucked up universe, he likes her, and we all know what happens when he gets obsessed, don't we?"

"Oh hell.. That means Axle might just be dying soon. I wouldn't put it past the guy to stab him in his sleep."

"What I'm wondering is what the hell HHH will think about it?"

"What am I gonna think about what, exactly?" HHH spoke up from behind Miz and Cody, a smirk on his face, his arms crossed as he added, "You two jerks know something I don't?"

"Uhh.. No."

"Actually, Miz was just." Cody started as Miz elbowed him sharply and then whispered when HHH walked away from them, "If you're smart you'll keep your mouth shut, Rhodes."

"Why though?"

"Because.. The Shield hasn't really attacked you and your idiot Damien, has he?"

"Not really, but.."

"Do you WANT to be on their shit list?"

"Not really.. But someone should tell the guy, I mean Ava is his kid.. He has a right to know, doesn't he?" Cody asked firmly, rolling his eyes in annoyance as Miz smirked and said "Go ahead, don't let me stop you then, good Samaritan.. But trust me. It won't be worth it in the long run. Besides, I've met her, I think she can handle Ambrose and that idiot Axel."

"Would you two shut up?" Damien asked stiffly as he added, "You sound like two of the girls. Act like grown men."

Cody fell silent as he glared at his best friend. Then again, Damien did have a point. This was as far from their business as it got and clearly, he was better off not having asked.

Down the hallway, HHH stared down Dean Ambrose in disbelief, trying to decide whether to hit him first or laugh then deck the guy.

"Let me get this straight... You're telling me that the reason you and Axle were fighting just now was because of Ava?"

"Yeah. What of it, HHH?"

"Kid, the day either of you gets near my daughter in that way will be the day I shoot both of you. Nobody on this roster had better be entertaining any kind of ideas where Ava's concerned."

Dean smirked and leaning in said "What are you gonna do? Spank me?" before turning on his heel and storming away again, leaving HHH standing there, angry.

So he did what he did best and went to Vickie, demanded to be put in a triple threat match with both of them that night. There was no way in hell either guy was going to be with Ava, he was going to make that crystal clear when he beat the living shit out of both of them.

Stephanie looked at her husband, worried as she said "Don't do this.. You know what the medics said. You cannot fight, I mean it."

"The hell I can't. Those two jerkoffs are not getting near Ava like that." HHH fumed as he added, "We just thought Ben was bad.. If she were with one or either of them?"

Stephanie went to interject but for now, seeing how angry her husband was, he had been all day, Ben's lawyer showed up, yet again, snooping around, causing problems, and then Ben had the nerve to call Ava, again and threaten her, again..

She kept quiet for now.. But in the back of her mind, she wondered what would happen if Ava actually chose one of the two men who were currently sort of in a battle of the wills over her.

She groaned internally, it'd be like herself and hunter, her father, all over again.

Sooner or later, he was going to have to realize that even though he was her dad, no man would ever be good enough for his daughters, he'd have to let them all find one that they could love.

For now, she did the best thing she could do, and kept it to herself. Mostly because Ava, she suspected, might actually like Ambrose, but wouldn't admit it, and for all intents and purposes, seemed to have no problem pretending to hate the guy.

At least that's what she'd told her earlier today when Stephanie had asked, after catching the two of them glaring at one another across catering, then seeing Ava smirk to herself when Dean looked away first.


	6. ch 3 - a run in talk with Dean

_A Random Run In At The Hotel, Later The Same Night_

Ava paced the hallway, swearing as she did so. She was just about to throw the phone in her hand at a nearby wall when the door across from her own room opened and a half sleeping Dean Ambrose stepped out, leaned against the doorframe of his room, looking at her in amusement, a smug smirk on his face.

"Do ya mind? It's 1 am." Dean grumbled in a pissed off voice as Ava rolled her eyes and then said "This is personal, you can go now."

"But why?" Dean asked, an amused smirk starting, growing when he heard her growl.

"Just get lost, okay? I'm not in the mood for our little arguments tonight."

"Why not?"

"Because, Ambrose, I'm not. There are other things in the world that piss me off besides you." Ava said calmly, her voice stiff, her arms crossed as she strained to hear, making sure Lola was okay.

"Have to cancel girls night because you couldn't find a babysitter?" Dean guessed sarcastically. For the most part, his low opinion of the female race stemmed from his own rotten childhood, the way he'd been treated almost all his life.

"No you asshole. Actually, it's really none of your business." Ava said as she turned to walk back into her room.

"Truth hurts, don't it?" Dean called out casually, getting the finger over her shoulder at him as an answer. Ava stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him, a bitter smirk on her face as she said calmly, "It might interest you to know, Ambrose.. Not all women are whores. Not all of us live to abandon our kids. Some of us just have the misfortune to meet the one asshole, much like you pretend to be, and then we have to spend the rest of our lives, our kids lives, trying to get away from the guy. Think about it, Ambrose." before stepping into her room, slamming the door shut, not even caring to see her words hit their desired mark.

She was still on edge from the call she'd gotten just now from Ben. He claimed he was closer to getting to her, and he claimed that soon enough, he'd have Lola and her, right where he wanted the two of them. The walls were closing in and the only thing Ava could really think to do was run, get as far away from anyone who'd get hurt or caught in the middle of all this as humanly possible.

The door was knocked on, she heard Dean swearing at her angrily. 'Does this get any better, really?' she muttered as she bent to kiss Lola's forehead, pulled her blanket up around her, then finally opened the door, not even sure why she had opened the door.

"What?"

"Ya wrong."

"About?"

"I'm not pretendin to be an asshole, Ava. I really am one." Dean said calmly as he shoved past her, stepped into the hotel room and then paced a few moments. His eyes fell on the open suitcase on the bed, the two passports sitting on top of folded clothes.

"What the fuck are ya caught up in?"

"It's none of your business.. To you, I'm just a spoiled little princess who's gotten everything handed to her. You don't know me and the only reason you keep coming around is because you think that eventually I'll give in to this tension between us and fuck you." Ava said as she looked at him, smirked.

She admitted to the rising tension between them since she'd come here, no sense in hiding it.. Even though her father had always and still continued to forbid her to ever even consider falling for another professional wrestler. He always said he wanted 'better' for 'his girls', so her younger half sisters had the same rule to look forward to.

And maybe, if Ava were wilder like she used to be, if she hadn't been hurt, lied to and confused so much in her life, she'd prove Ambrose wrong about her and himself.

But she wasn't and she wasn't about to do something that might hurt her daughter or bite her in the ass in the long run.

Dean studied her a moment and then smirked as she admitted to the tension in their arguing banter. But he surprised her when he said calmly, stiffly, "Who said I'd fuck ya?"

Ava rolled her eyes, grumbled and asked, "Are you about done? My baby girl could wake up at any damn second and I do not want her seeing what I had to see when I lived with my mom as a kid. I'm not gonna be my mom."

Dean studied her a moment and then Ava looked at him, biting her lip as she asked with a smirk, "What? Thought you knew me, huh.."

"Ya never answered my question."

"Because it's none of your damn business.. besides, you said it out in the hallway, you really are an asshole, it's not an act, so why do you even care?"

"Because you're under my fucking skin and I can't get you out and it pisses me off." Dean said as he leaned in, his eyes flashing in anger, his voice dangerous, teetering on the edge of rage. The air was so full of tension it almost crackled.

"Back to you, jerk. Now get out of my fucking room. Please?" Ava said as she looked at him, tried to ignore them drifting closer to one another.

"No."

"Damn it, Dean, go."

"Ya say I don't know ya.. I'm only callin what I've seen."

"And you've seen it the way you wanna see it." Ava said calmly as she folded some of Lola's clothes, sighed when Lola started to cry, looking at Dean as she pointed to the door.

Instead of leaving, he flopped down onto her bed and said casually, "Not goin anywhere until you answer me." before sitting back up, and standing, walking towards Lola's crib.

Ava was about to pick her up, but she turned, having just gotten Lola's bottle warm, and saw Dean holding the little girl sort of reluctantly.

Ava took her and looked at him as she said calmly, "Since you're not going anywhere, I'll tell you. Besides, Dad's probably told some of the guys about it anyway and the way the backstage of this place is, everybody's probably going to talk about it."

"Go on." Dean said as he let her take Lola, not even sure why he'd picked her up for one thing, and why she'd sort of stopped crying so much, fussing, while he had her.

"Have any idea who the Ciprianos are?"

Dean looked at her, brow raised, trying to remember where he'd heard the name before. "Not really.. Why?"

"Organized crime family, Ambrose.. My stepfather, Ripley, the jackass, may he burn in hell when I get my hands on him to kill him, is one of the higher members. And to get back at me, because I chose my dad over him when my mom died and I came to live with my father as a kid.. He arranged for some asshole named Ben to make me fall for him, marry him." Ava said quietly as Dean looked at her with a raised brow.

"Huh?"

"Basically, it was the equivalent of an arranged marriage, but with one little problem.. I was the only person who didn't know what was going on or just how bad, how sick Ben actually was, until it was too late."

Dean snorted in disbelief then he asked, "Can't ya dad get rid of the guy?"

"If it were that simple, Dean, he'd have already done it.. No, Ripley has too many connections. Back then, my dad didn't really have a lot of pull, didn't know a lot of people, hell, he'd only really just married Steph."

"Ahh."

Ava looked at him and then said quietly, a slightly bitter laugh, "Too bad I didn't meet ya back then.. We'd have had a good time. I used to be pretty wild. And Dean?"

"What?"

"You are nothing compared to this asshole I'm trying to get away from, trust me. If you were, I'd have put you on your ass when you picked up Lola just now. I get that you're an asshole, and you try to scare as many people as you can from the start, but trust me. I'm getting pretty good at dealing with assholes."

Dean chuckled then looked at her as he said calmly, "Worst thing ya can do is running. Sooner or later, the guy's gonna catch up to ya."

"You don't say. But I wasn't leaving.. I was looking for something, I never unpack while we're on the road. Makes it easier to leave when we're getting ready to go to the next town. Why would it matter?"

"I like pissin you off." Dean said with a smirk as he turned to walk out of the room, leaving Ava confused, holding her daughter against her securely in one arm, her free hand in her hair as she looked at the door he'd just closed behind him.

"That man confuses the hell out of mommy, baby girl." Ava muttered as she texted her stepmom and her dad, letting them know that Ben seemed to think he was getting closer to a way to get his hands on her and Lola, to watch out.

And she vowed silently to herself that if he even dared to try and hurt her family, she'd make sure he died slowly. Or suffered one hell of a lot before any proper authorities got a hold of him.

Down the hallway, a man checked into room 354 and smirked to himself as he looked at a picture of Ava and their daughter then laughed and muttered, "And here I am. You will learn your place."

He'd seen her talking to that damn other man, now she was really going to pay. Ben was a very jealous and possessive man, and he was practically living off the anger he felt at her finally getting away from him, taking their kid with her.

Nobody screwed him over, and he was about to prove that very thing. Or so he thought, that was his intention. Not just yet.. But soon.


	7. ch 4 - the morning after the run in

_Morning After Their Random Run In_

Ava woke up to the pounding of her head and pounding on her hotel room door. She raised a brow, was about to swear and loudly at whoever it was, until she heard her father's voice calling her on the other side. She sat up and slid out of bed, careful not to wake Lola as she did so.

"Coming, dad."

As soon as she opened the door her father stepped in with an envelope in his hand, and a rather pissed off look on his face. "You might want to take a look, Ava." he said as he paused, let her see the photos in the envelope, saw her own anger sink in.

"Who the fuck took these and how?"

"I don't know, but I do know, Ava we had this discussion when you were 17 got it into your head that you had a crush on one of the guys. I told you no fighters.. So, that leaves me to ask.. Do you want to explain just what Dean Ambrose was doing in your hotel room, last night?"

"Dad.. You can't seriously think.."

" Well, whoever took these obviously did, Ava, because Ben's lawyer just got off the phone with Vince's."

"God damn it. That son of a bitch. So what, he's having me followed now? Really? And he's going to get away with this, how, exactly?" Ava raged as her father placed his larger hands on her upper arms then said in a calming voice, "Relax. We're going to spin that somehow. And Vince's lawyer found some things on Ben that just might make both of those jerkoffs disappear for once."

"Dad, I love you, but you cannot be going optimist on me? Not after all we've been through as a family because of that asshole my mother married back then.."

"No, but with this, I'll take anything I can get, princess. Just remember. No fighters.. Your mom wanted me to ask if you wanna have breakfast with me and the girls?" her father asked as Ava sighed and thought for a few moments then said quietly, "No, I have something I need to do."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I just need to figure something out, dad." Ava promised as she added, "But Lola can go, I'd actually like it if she did."

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing, daddy, I promise." Ava promised as she crossed her fingers behind her back. The less her father and her stepgrandfather knew about what she was about to do, the better.. Because neither of them liked nor did they trust Paul Heyman, and right now, Ava didn't need thourough investigations that'd take time and give Ben time to pull more crap like he had just now.

She needed someone who was willing to fight dirty, get their hands dirty.

Paul Heyman was nothing if not crooked, if you were to ask Ava's personal opinion.. But she knew for a fact that he'd help her.

She was also considering looking into David Otunga.. All the help she could get, really. If the photos her father woke up to this morning were anything to go by, then she was going to have a serious fight on her hands, and things were going to get all out nasty by the end.

But she'd said many times before, she'd die before her daughter got stuck living with that monster that Ava made the mistake of thinking was everything but, of falling for.

One way or another, this ended with Ava getting to keep her daughter, not ever having to worry about Ben or her adoptive father, Ripley, or anything bad happening, again.

Because Ava had spent almost all her life living in fear, looking over her shoulder, and she was not going to do that anymore.

She got Lola's diaper bag together and then giving her father a kiss, she reassured him once more.

"Dad.. You have absolutely nothing to worry about, and not with him of all people."

"And keep that damn kid Curtis out too. He's not a good guy, princess. Hell, neither of them are." Hunter stated as he took his granddaughter and gave his daughter one last look.

"Dad, go. I'll be fine, I'm not up to anything." Ava said as he nodded, hugged her and said "I'm just glad you're back with us. And don't worry, dad's gonna fix this." as he walked out.

Ava fell back onto the bed and then stood up. She peeked into the hallway, then walked across, banged on the closed door of Ambrose's room, shoving the photos in his hand as she said coldly, "Thanks a lot."

"What?"

"Thanks to you, my asshole of an ex has another way to get to Lola."

"You let me in."

"It was that or you get bounced by security and get into worse trouble with the company. I know how much you like fighting.." Ava said as she trailed off, watched him looking at the photos.

"This guy.. How the hell did he take these and get copies so fast." Dean asked bitterly as he looked up. Ava shrugged and then said calmly, "Ben can do anything he wants, whenever he wants. I wish I'd known that before I let the asshole trick me into loving him."

"He's not a fuckin God."

"He thinks he is and that stunt last night? Just helped him."

Dean watched her storm off, his hand in his hair as he muttered, "So.. I'm gonna have to find this fuckin jerk myself."

Shutting the door, he flopped back onto the bed. And then he snickered when he heard the door being knocked on, yet again.

Flinging it open, he scowled when he saw Curtis Axel standing there. "Whatever this thing with Ava is, drop it. She's gonna be mine, Ambrose."

"Fuck off, Axel."

"You first, Ambrose. You're not mentally stable enough to have a good girl like that. You'd only fuck her up, you'd fuck up that baby's life and I'm not going to let you keep trying to play headgames with Ava."

"Oh boy.. You're really a fuckin idiot, aren't ya?" Dean asked as he smirked and grabbed Curtis by the collar swiftly, holding him as he growled in a low voice, "I catch you around her? You're dead, Axel."

"Game on then." Curtis said back quietly, as he grabbed Dean's collar and said with a cold glare, "You're trash anyway. She'll see it sooner or later, realize she can do better."

"We're not even fuckin together, you idiot." Dean pointed out as he added, "And neither are the two of you.. And if I can help it, ya won't be, either."

The door slammed shut, and when it was thrown open again a few minutes later, Dean grunted as he looked up and down the hallway, helped Ava into the room.

"What the fuck happened to ya?"

"I went to talk to someone, to calm down.. I was on my way back to my room and someone tried to grab me." Ava growled as she looked up at Dean and then said calmly, stiffly, "About before.. I'm sorry... But.."

"Shut up. I'm tryin to think."

Dean paced and bit his thumb as he stopped and looked at her. "Like it or not, when that fuckin idiot took those pictures with me in 'em? He dragged me into this."

"I talked to Otunga, Heyman.. They're gonna see if they can dig anything up on Ben or my adoptive father they can use somehow. This is gonna piss dad off, but he's moving fast, I don't have time to sit and wait, hoping that they MIGHT find something Ben nor Ripley can weasel out of. Why do you care?"

"Didn't say I did." Dean stated as he paced then stopped, leaned in, his thumb trailing along her lower lip as he muttered, "Hell no. Not doing this. Nope." and then tried to back up, only to find himself again leaning in, as he said calmly, in a smug voice, "You gotta admit.. We keep sort of migrating towards each other."

"Ughh, you wish." Ava said as she gulped, realized she was leaning in too, her mind was screaming at her how wrong this whole thing with him was, what falling for the bad guys got her, but she couldn't control anything anymore.

"No, babe. I know." Dean said with smug smirk as he added, "And you admitted it last night." before holding the door open for her to go out, go back to her own hotel room.

Which she did, collapsing onto her bed, exhausted from the fight she kept having internally about Dean, his intentions, and how she actually felt about him.

She got the very distinct feeling that sooner or later, she was going to cave in. If everything in her world didn't completely crumble around her first.

And this did not make her happy, not at all. But why did something so completely wrong, feel so totally right?


	8. ch 5 - divorce is final, problms not ove

_A Meeting With Ben, Lawyer's Offices  
_

Ava paced the corridor nervously. For her own good, Heyman agreed to stay out of the actual proceedings, so nothing really got stirred up between himself and her father yet again, because unlike a lot of people seemed to think, he did in fact get the bigger picture.

But, David Otunga, who'd been sort of working with him on the case, trying to find out anything they could use against Ben and her adoptive father, Ripley, had come. This made Ava nervous. But when the office doors opened and she saw none other than Curtis Axel strutting in, she groaned and looked at David who headed the man off and got him back outside.

"If you want her, and you really like her, man, you'll leave this office right now. This does nothing to help her look like a fit parent. The kid's the important thing here, Curtis, not your dying need to get into my girl Ava's panties." David said coldly, his arms crossed as he nodded to Curtis' car in the lot.

And from there, it only got worse, of course. Because Ava's father chose that exact moment to arrive, with the other lawyers that Otunga had been meeting with, when he'd finally convinced Triple H backstage it'd be in his best interest to bring him on board also.

Triple H, of course, hadn't been happy about it, but, Otunga explained that were it his daughter in Ava's situation, he'd want all the resources known to man at work to stop Ben, Ava's soon to be ex husband from getting his hands on Ava's 1 year old daughter, Lola.

"What the hell was he doing here?" Hunter fumed at David who said "It's handled. I'm going to give him a friendly warning at the arena tonight. He will not mess this up for Ava."

"And Ambrose?"

"Him either, sir." David said as he added, "We did manage to find a few things that might go badly for Ben, should they come to light during the hearing."

"Such as?"

"Ben was unfaithful before he ever snapped those photos of Ambrose trying to go into Ava's room. Which by the way, I saw the security footage of, nothing happened except an argument."

Hunter took a relieved breath and then said "Well? How long was he cheating?"

"Actually, sir, we could push this, if the court lets us admit what I found into evidence, and there might not even be a need for a trial.. APparently, our friend Ben forgot about the bigamy law."

"Whoa.. That sack of shit's married to another woman?"

"She's an older one, he had her put into a nursing home, but he continues to keep ties to her, for her money." David admitted, himself sickened by the discovery. "These people, Hunter. They're not exactly your average jerks, are they?" David asked to satisfy his own curiousity as Hunter shook his head, leaned in and said "Couldn't ever prove it, but Ripley's part of the Cipriano Organization."

"Like that New York crime family?" David asked with both brows arched.

"One and the same. And somehow, when I tried to win custody of Ava, when she was probably about your daughter's age, Ripley managed to keep it from happening. I also kinda suspect that he drove my ex, Ava's mom to kill herself."

"Does Ava even know what happened?"

"She saw something, but thank God, she's managed to find some way to block whatever happened the night her mother died out. If she remembered, I don't think she'd ever be the same again.. I mean Steph and I, we had our suspicions."

"Hmm."

"We're not reopening that. Too much pain involved for Ava." Hunter said firmly as David nodded then said "No, but it does give me a hint of things to look for, things Ripley might have had Ben's help to keep hidden."

"Ahhh. Now I get what you're saying."

The two men walked back in and Ava hugged her father. The doors opened again and Ben walked in, Ava's adoptive father at his side, a small entourage surrounding them. As her lawyer, David couldn't help but notice the widened eyes of fear, or the way Ava immediately shrank away from both men, closer to her father and she held on to Lola tighter.

Ben stopped in front of Ava and sighing said "You made me do this, Ava. If you'd only come home.."

"Never, Ben." Ava said as she glared at him. Ben sighed and then said "Well, then you won't like what I'm going to have to do, will you?"

"Can he threaten me?" Ava asked David quietly as she held Lola tightly against her, keeping her baby girl safely away from Ben, from the monster that helped create the little girl she loved more than anything.

"The way he said it, it can't be taken exactly as a threat. This guy's slick.. Guess it's a good thing Heyman and I just might be slicker." David muttered as he and Hunter, the team of lawyers representing Ava walked into the office and all took a seat around a long rectangular table.

"Sir? I'd like to begin by saying I protest the divorce." Ben said immediately, as he looked at Ava, a smug look on his face.

Ava spoke up and said "I don't. And I want to add that in addition to the grounds I'm already filing on, I'd like to add abuse and mental cruelty."

The judge looked back and forth between the two and then tried not to meet Ripley Cipriano's eyes. Ava, of course noticed this, and she started to panic. Was this judge on the take?

One of her stepgrandfather's lawyers and Otunga began whispering as David stood and said "Sir, I believe I have a right to request a new judge, and a change of venue?"

Vince smirked to himself as Stephanie slipped Hunter a covert five from where they sat. They both had a feeling where David was going with doing this now.

"To where, exactly?"

"Ms. Levesque's hometown, Connetticut." David said as the lawyers on Ben's side began whispering, and then the judge said quietly, "Granted. The trial will be rescheduled once the new judge is selected. Until then, court is adjourned."

David smirked and then stood again as he said "That was just for the custody hearing.. They'd like to do the divorce today. Ava's actually spent more than enough time living in fear, so has Lola. It would be in the best interest of the child if the divorce is ruled on today."

The judge rolled his eyes and Ripley narrowed his angrily. But, there wasn't anything he could legally do at the moment. One person filing for divorce was all it took really. So if Ava were dead set on divorcing Ben, they'd have to at least hear that part of the case now.

After the judge heard that part of the case, he met with the lawyers in his chambers while Ava paced the corridor.. She turned a corner down one of the hallways, and she felt an arm grabbing her elbow and got yanked into the alley.

Dean stood there as he asked, "Well? "

"Well what? And why the hell are you here even, Dean, I mean you don't honestly care." Ava asked warily, as Dean looked at her then shrugged, shoved his hand into his pockets as he said quietly, "Because, damn it. I don't fucking know, alright? Lay off me, woman.. What do you expect?"

"You to stop just showing up like a creeper or something, I don't know?" Ava asked as she studied him in curiousity.. In some ways, earlier, when Otunga had to lead Curtis out, Ava had been hoping she'd see Dean later, or he'd hear where she was, show up or something. After all, they were sort of friends, even if they fought more than anything, right?

And he was always aggrivating her in some way or another, even when he weren't actually with her.

"Nope. Not gonna happen. I told ya Ava.."

"Yes, I realize you seem to have some notion in your head that sooner or later, I will fall for you, but I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"You're lyin."

"Dean, go now."

"Nope. Not gonna happen.. In fact, think I'll stroll right in there, take a seat next to daddy. How bad do you think Vince would lose it?"

Ava groaned and swore then said "Why are you here?"

Dean leaned in and smirking said quietly, "Because, I want something."

"Something I cannot give you. I'm damaged. And I have a daughter who comes before anything else now."

Dean thought about this a moment then grinned bitterly as he said quietly, "Never said I wanted some perfect bitch now did I?"

"Would you just leave already? I can't with you right now, really.. This fixation on me, it ends."

"See, Ava, I'd love to do that.. I'd do that if I didn't think that deep down, you didn't feel something for me too."

"I feel something alright, and right now, that something is anger.. Dean what the hell are you doing?"

"Just getting a look at Ex man, don't worry, doll." Dean said as he peered through a window and into the building and then assessed loudly, "You're scared of that pussy? Really, Ava? I thought you were tougher than that."

"Dean, god damn it all, can you just leave now before my dad sees you and really loses it?" Ava tried to plead as Dean smirked and shook his head then said "You should go back in though. Before they miss ya." as he pulled her against him and the wall he stood in front of, so that she was pinned in effectively, and leaned in dangerously close as he added in a low seductive whisper, "And whether you admit it or not, princess.. You feel somethin other than anger for me. I'm gonna prove it."

Then he turned and disappeared into the alley, and then the parking lot.

Once he was sitting in his car, he leaned back in the seat and then scanned the parking lot, bored. "Wonder which of these cars belongs to that pussy I saw in the courthouse just now." he muttered as he got out, looked around the lot, satisfied to find it empty.

So he wasn't trying to win the girl with hearts and flowers, or by any normal standards.. Then again, he was Dean Ambrose, he never actually did normal very well.

And when he did, it only ended badly for him.

But the second he'd seen Ava, he'd known there was something about her. Something set her apart from all the other 'poor little rich girls' that he'd loved and left over the years.

Something kept him coming back and until he figured out what that was, until he got her (and her daughter, he was begrudgingly beginning to like the kid, it freaked him the hell out in all honesty) where he wanted her, he'd continue to keep wearing her down, the only way he knew how.

If she withstood this, then just maybe they could be together, maybe he could finally let someone in.

If not, then at least he couldn't say he hadn't tried. Because he was.

The Ferrari stood out among all the other cars, and Dean snickered to himself as he muttered, "Yeah.. The guy's definitely a pussy. He's using the powerful car to make up for power he ain't got. Shame, really, all this waste of machinery and four wheeled sex appeal on a pussy like that." as he walked around the car calmly, then when he was absolutely sure nobody saw him, he found something lying nearby, used it to throw through the windshield.

"Come near her again, Benny boy.. Next time it won't be a brick, it'll be ya damn head. The mob isn't shit to me." Dean muttered as he got into his own rental and drove away, laughing to himself all the way back to the hotel.

Ava sat in the courtroom, trying to focus, trying not to worry about the hell Dean could be raising at this very moment, or fearing she'd see the double doors open and him walking through them.

Oddly enough, she was sort of disappointed when he didn't walk through them and slide into the back row, taunting her. And she scowled to herself from where she sat on the plaintiff's side of the courtroom.

Stephanie noticed the scowl and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, mom, it's nothing.. I'll.. I'll talk to you about it later, okay?" Ava said as she covertly nodded in her father's unknowing direction.

Stephanie nodded and then leaning in said "Where'd you go earlier anyway?"

"I was trying to find the bathroom, must have taken a wrong turn." Ava muttered. She hated lying, but she didn't want to tell her stepmother, right in front of her overprotective father that she'd been pulled into the alley then kissed by Dean Ambrose, after they had a very heated exchange of words that'd left her nothing short of angry and confused.

No, from where she stood? It was best she even forget this odd bond with Dean before it got her into serious and deep shit.

Or got her hurt when she was stupid enough to trust him and fall for him, and he inevitably hurt her too. Because unlike Ben, he didn't bother to hide the fact that he only wanted one thing, and he didn't and probably wouldn't love her in return.

Or at least that's what she thought currently. And that thought both helped her at least try to stay away from the danger he presented and pissed her off.

What she couldn't figure out was how one man could stir up so many different feelings in her at one time. She'd never had that happen before.

Right as the judge granted the marriage she'd been in dissolved, she saw the court room door open, she saw not only Dean's baseball cap wearing head peek in, but Seth's two toned hair as well and then Roman's hair.

She looked down, managed a smirk to herself, and deep down, she felt relieved.

Outside the court room, Dean looked at his two friends and then said " Any reason we're back here?"

"Because I couldn't watch Bellatore with you pacing a damn path and swearing to yourself in front of the tv?" Seth said as Roman added, "If you're worried, it effects us too."

Dean raised a brow then said calmly, "Did you guys see the windshield on that Ferrari?"

"The busted one?"

"Yeah." Dean said with a malicious smirk as Seth and Roman doubled over in laughter then said "Not to make a corny pun here, but you're gonna be swimmin with the fishes.. Or wake up with a horses severed head between your legs, man."

"She's worth it.. I think.. I mean hell.. I don't know." Dean grumbled as he kicked at a trash bin then ducked out of sight when he saw her walking out with her family.

"Did you just say she's worth it?"

"Fuck no, man."

"I think he did."

The howl from the parking lot had all three of them looking at one another, holding one another up with laughter and high fiving.

"So. You two know who to look out for?" Dean asked calmly as his two friends gradually stopped laughing, nodded seriously.

"Let's go before she sees me and gets pissy again." Dean grumbled as they slipped out into the alley.

Ava looked around for him, and saw him slipping into the alley just as her father caught up to her. She kept her father distracted with conversation and let him lead her out of the courthouse.

Inside, she was a jumbled mess of emotions. She was a free woman, yet she wasn't. She might be rid of him legally, but that didn't mean Ben would back down or stop trying to hurt her in other ways. Now she had to really be careful.

She'd seen it in his eyes today when the judge said the marriage was done legally. He was furious and he'd do anything to make her feel that fury.

Hunter laughed as Ben made a dramatic scene about his windshield being busted. Leaning into Stephanie he whispered, "Wish to hell I'd have thought of that."

"Hunter.."

"Well? I wish I knew what kid did that, I'd give 'em a medal."

"Dad, seriously?"

"He's lucky I didn't break his neck earlier when he got up there and actually tried to insinuate you were an unfit mother."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm gonna fucking kill him for that later. Something tells me that we're not done with that jackass. I have a really, really bad feeling, dad."

"So do I, princess. So do I. But we're gonna help you get out of this and away from that prick once and for all."


	9. ch6 - dad and dean go toe to toe verbaly

_Dean And Hunter Go Toe To Toe Verbally  
_

"I'm getting really sick of you hanging around my daughter, Ambrose." Hunter said as he caught sight of Dean when he came into the locker room. The room went almost deathly silent, all the guys had been warned what would happen were one of them stupid enough to try and pursue a relationship with Ava, or even try and ask her on a date. He was nothing if not an over protective father.

CM Punk gritted his teeth and said "If I were you guys? I'd let 'em handle this man to man.. Boys, I think we all need to take a little walk down the hallway."

"Agreed." came the unified whispers of at least 5 or 6 other Superstars as the group decided that maybe the locker room was not the place to be at the moment.

Seth and Roman were walking into the arena when Punk stopped them and said "You two should have made that crazy lunatic friend of yours leave Ava and her daughter alone. Now he's about to get his ass handed to him by Hunter. And don't even think for one second you're going in there, and interfering. If Dean really likes Ava? He'll do this on his own."

Seth and Roman glared, but Roman nodded then said "We stand down. If it gets out of hand, we go in, break them up. But we don't go after Hunter, because think about it, Rollins.. Would you want Dean Ambrose trying to be with your daughter?"

Seth thought about this for a while then said "But he's one of us, he's our friend."

"But if he really wants to get close to Ava, this is gonna have to happen for both their own good. If we butt in now, it's not gonna prove anything to Hunter, other than the Shield's got some kind of thing against him, when we actually don't." Roman said as Seth nodded then said carefully, "I guess that makes sense."

"We want to prove that Dean really does want her. Not that this is some vendetta, Seth. Trust me." Roman said quietly as Seth nodded and they grabbed some bottles of water, took a seat at a table in catering to wait it out.

Meanwhile, in the locker room, Dean smirked as he paced. Then he stopped and said "You might scare the rest of the guys, Triple H.. But you don't scare me. Not at all. And when I want something? I'm gonna go for it, I'm not gonna stop until I get it."

"Anything but my daughter and her daughter, Ambrose. You aren't good enough."

"Yeah? Well didn't Vince tell Stephanie that about you once?" Dean snarled as he started towards HHH, every intention of knocking the man off his high horse and getting it over with once and for all. But the words stuck in his head and repeated like a cd that was skipping in a bad spot.

_'You're not good enough for her. You're not good enough for her.'_

For some reason, he just wasn't willing to back down, though, even when his own mind was echoing the sentiment that HHH just stated. He'd heard those words all of his life. He was a nothing kid, a bum from Ohio who's only real talent was getting his face beaten in and giving that back to whoever he was up against. He didn't have any money, he'd never had a normal home life, and his own mother loved to tell him what a mistake he was, repeatedly.

Hunter eyed Dean and then said "Look. What happened between me and Stephanie? None of your business, Ambrose. She's my daughter, and I'm not about to stand back and just let you ruin her damn life. She might hate me for doing this, but if I have to? I'll beat the living hell out of you."

"C'mon and try it then, HHH. You think you scare me?"

"No, but you haven't fought me yet, kid."

"And you won't scare me then either." Dean smirked as he leaned in and then said "So, you either back off, let this happen or believe me, Hunter.. I will fight you."

"And you think that's gonna make Ava like you any more or any less? Look, you're insane, I get that. You get obsessed with something and you get it in your head that you gotta have it. Believe me, I know what ambition is. You have it. But you don't want to pick this fight, Ambrose."

"Yes.. I .. Do.. " Dean said as he smirked and gave HHH a slight shove.

Stephanie caught sight of all of the males on the roster but Dean and Hunter in the hallway and she got this feeling that she knew exactly what was about to happen. She'd prepared to knock when Mark Calloway walked over, shook his head no and said "Let 'em talk this out, Steph."

"Hunter will kill him." Stephanie said, worried about her husband's anger, the rage he'd had when he overheard some of the guys talking about Dean's odd 'relationship' with Ava and Lola, how even though they fought like crazy, Dean was always popping up at random.

Trying to be what he called a 'good guy,' but was more or less likely trying to start an all out war, Curtis Axel had taken the notion to approach Hunter about that very thing in the hotel lobby, and all the way to the arena tonight, Stephanie had felt the storm brewing on the horizon.

Then she remembered Ava's talk with her earlier, and she realized that if this happened, this was probably the worst possible thing, because it would be her situation with HHH all over again. And she knew she'd went at least a year or two without speaking to her own family because they couldn't look past HHH's life his roots and his wild ways to see that there was really love there.

Ava's words echoed off her mind as she stood there, trying to figure out what to do to stop this before it got so far out of hand that someone got hurt or they pushed Ava and Lola away without trying. Ava was already in more than enough danger, Ben had been showing up at random, picking fights, hurting Ava or trying to kidnap Lola even.. If this got going, there was no telling who'd be hurt by the fallout.

_'Mom, it's just.. he makes me so damn angry I want to throttle him... And then when something happens, like when Ben attempted to grab Lola and run for it, he's there when I need him. I know his ways aren't normal, and he's not a really nice guy.. But there's just something about him, even when he's being completely freaking insane that makes me feel, I don't know.. Safer maybe?' _

Stephanie turned the knob and walked into the locker room and then said firmly, "Dad wants to see you, Hunter." as she looked at her husband, who was dangerously close to losing it, crossing that fine line. And once he did cross it, there'd be no turning around. For either of them, because when she glanced at Dean, she could see that he was as angry as Hunter was. He was so pissed his teeth were practically chattering and his fists were clenched so tightly that they were turning white almost.

The door closed as Hunter looked at him and said "We're gonna finish this later. You got lucky this time you little bastard." before kissing Stephanie, and then walking out. This left Stephanie in the room with Dean. For a while she stood there, watched him intently.

She was trying to see what her stepdaughter saw in the man, really. And she saw it when he opened his locker and a picture fluttered to the floor. He picked it up, shoved it quickly in his pockets then asked without turning around, "What? You come to tell me I'm not good enough for Ava too? Look, I know that already, so spare me. Thing of it is, I honestly do not care. I want her. Hell, I'm even tryin to get used to a kid being around. So obviously, I'm not gonna back down until I get her. Or I scare her away just like.."

"Everyone else?" Stephanie guessed as she laughed then said "You really don't know my daughter at all, Dean.. I'd suggest you actually get to know her, and not just what you think you know about her if you really care or give a damn about either of them.. Because if you don't? You'll drive her away." as she smirked, turned on her heel and walked towards the door, stopping at the door long enough to add, "And by the way.. I just saved your ass just now. If I were you, I'd be very careful around Ava's father. He's protective of his girls.. All of us."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not afraid of him. He might not like me, but he's gonna have to deal with me, because I'm not gonna just stop wanting what I want. Even if I don't know wha the hell that is."

Dean stood looking at the photo he'd picked up off the floor, then shoved it back into his locker. And the words Hunter yelled at him just now kept echoing around in his mind.

He slammed the locker shut and stormed down the hallway, fuming to himself. Why'd it have to be her of all women he could wind up being stupid enough to fall for? As best as he could tell, she hated him, or tolerated him because she didn't want to piss him off. But he couldn't get her off his damn mind, or Lola, and that was driving him up one wall, down the other.

Shoving open the door to the makeup room, he walked in, sat down and said calmly, "Just had a talk with ya dad." as he looked at his hands.

Ava turned and looked at him, groaning as she walked to the door, shut it firmly, locked it. "Yeah?"

"He seems to think for some reason ya might actually consider fallin for me or somethin, I don't know, look, the man was clearly scared that there might be somethin here.."

Ava giggled to herself, quickly stopped when Dean glared up at her and then said angrily, "This is not funny."

"Right, sorry.. You were saying?" Ava asked, as she watched him practically seething in silent rage, and complete confusion.

"But there's not. Because ya hate me, and ya like remindin me." Dean said as Ava looked at him, then burst into laughter. Lola woke up and she groaned, then picked up her daughter before going to sit in the vacant chair next to the one Dean sat in.

"Oh trust me, Ambrose.. You've kept me awake enough nights since I took this job to know I all but hate you. You should scare the living shit out of me, you should make me so angry I want to strangle you but.."

Dean looked up with a raised brow then asked stiffly, "But what?"

"But I don't. Look, I'm not saying I wanna run off and marry you or anything, god knows how well that'd work for us given my luck and your temper.. But I'm trying to say that I do know I feel something. And I've had about 2 months and 2 weeks now to realize that I'm too damn tired of fighting it, because you, sir, are a persistant bastard."

Dean chuckled and then looked at her, taking Lola from her. "She ever get to sleep earlier?"

"Oddly enough, whatever it is that you did before you walked down to the ring, Ambrose, it put her out like a light.. Look, if this is some game?"

"If this was me trying to get into bed with ya, I'd have done it by now." Dean said firmly as he looked at her and smirked.

"Oh really? You really think so?"

"I know so, babe."

"Hmm.. See, you could be just a little too cocky."

Dean looked at Lola and then laughing said "You hear your ma kid? She thinks I'm cocky. That's funny."

Lola giggled as she reached up for his nose, but wound up grabbing his index finger and making a gurgling sort of laugh as she did it.

"I mean it, Dean. If you're only gonna hurt us or fuck this up at some point, don't even bother trying. Neither Lola or me want or need that."

Dean stood and looked at her, let her take Lola back from him as Ava asked, "What? You were expecting me to basically confirm what my dad probably said to you, right?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm too damn tired of fighting this, this whatever the hell we have between us to bother lying. And you won't stop until I admit it anyway, so now you know. What you do with that is completely and totally on you, Ambrose. Now go before my father sees you in here and really loses his shit on you." Ava said as she winked at him a little, then leaned in and whispered, "Lola and I are probably just gonna hang around the hotel and watch Disney movies tonight."

He shrugged and then said with a smug smirk, "And maybe I'll be there, maybe not." as he walked out of the makeup room and down the hallway, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened, exactly.

Was she really giving in, finally? After almost 3 months of relentless pursuit?

He smirked and jumped up in the air, but then the words came back, taunting him. _'you're not good enough. not good enough, never good enough. you're pathetic. you're never gonna keep them around without screwing it all up or scaring them both off. she'll wind up hating you before this is over, ambrose, then what?'_

For now, he ignored the whisperings of his mind. He might finally be about to get what he wanted. And he was going to damn well enjoy while it lasted.

Whether it was Ben, her father or anyone else, he dared them to try and stop him from being with Ava. He'd do whatever he had to to keep them from stopping him. For the first time in a really, really long time, he actually wanted something so badly he could practically taste it.


	10. ch 7 - starting to cave in

_Starting To Cave In  
_

Ava paced her hotel room, wondering if she were making a huge mistake, admitting to Dean Ambrose earlier that she did feel something for him. She knew all about him, his reputation, the things people said, and for some reason, even knowing all of this didn't change the way she felt all that much.

The only thing it did do was make her wonder why on God's green Earth she couldn't just turn off whatever it was that she felt for the guy. Was she just a glutton for punishment where men were concerned?  
First, her mother's former husband, Ripley.. And then Ben.. Now, apparently, even though he was the worst kind of wrong for her, according to everyone she knew and everything she'd heard about him, everything she'd seen of him, and everything she knew first hand about the guy, apparently, none of this was going to stop her from feeling whatever it was that she felt for Dean Ambrose.

_'Your stepmom is right, Ava.. Are you seriously considering this? With him, of all people? Because you know how he is, what he's capable of." _her brain practically screamed at her, over and over again while everything else in her said the exact opposite when they reminded her, _'When Ben tried to take Lola and you.. Who stopped him and nearly got arrested for it? What has he done, exactly, that would indicate that he'd hurt you? And what about the other day, when you saw the little moment between him and your daughter? If he were really the monster people kept claiming, Ava.. Think about it.. If everyone believed everything they thought or heard about you..'_

She paced the interior of the medium sized hotel room, biting her nails as she tried to figure this out. Her father's words from earlier also kept bouncing around in her head, his telling her that Dean was never going to be a good guy, or a nice guy. That there was something wrong with him, and one day, whether intentional or not, Dean Ambrose would hurt her.

And her father only had her best interests at heart, right?

And then her subconcious argued this with the old standard, _'Maybe so, Ava, but your dad's always been really, really overprotective of you.. He knows what you went through with your mom and Ripley, and maybe that's clouding his judgement. Maybe that's why they can't see the things in Dean that you can. Maybe if you could show them that he's not a complete monster..'_

None of this was helping her decision one way or the other. Then she remembered an earlier conversation with her dad, when she was younger, and he'd given her advice on something.. _'If you want something, Ava, go for it. If your heart and your gut tell you something is right, Ava, even when everyone else says it's not, then do it. Don't let your head do all your thinking or you'll never learn anything, princess.'_

"Ughh, fuck." she grumbled as she held Lola in her lap and said quietly, "Mommy's having a really, really hard time figuring this out for us, Lola. On the one hand, she doesn't want to mess up your life even more than she probably already has.. On the other hand, she just thinks.. Forget it." Ava muttered as she leaned back in the chair the two of them sat in.

It was almost 9, if he were going to 'show up' to her non invitation extended earlier, he'd have been here by now. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe he had just been after her to break her or just to amuse himself or for some other reason that wasn't a good one.

"Don't grow up, baby girl, because it sucks." Ava muttered as she started to sing a song she'd heard on the way back from the arena to her daughter, while rocking her back and forth on her lap. "And if you have to grow up, baby girl, don't make mommy's mistakes. Be smart."

_'Oh darlin, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up, you can stay this little..' _she finished singing, as she giggled to herself at Lola's snoring, she was out like a light now. Standing carefully, she put her daughter in the crib she'd gotten earlier, and put together, pulled the blanket up over the sleeping little girl.

The door being knocked on as it opened partially had her looking up. She bit her lip as she saw him standing in it, leaned casually, his hair still damp from a shower, evidently.

"Wasn't gonna come." Dean muttered as he looked at her, his eyes slowly moving over her body as he turned, looked up the hall, then down the hall before stepping into the room and sitting down.

"Why did you?" Ava asked as she walked towards him, slowly, then sat down on the bed beside him, looking at him.

"Because, I had to find out if what ya said earlier was a game. If you're tryin to fuck with my head, Ava.. It's not smart, because when I'm angry it's not pretty." Dean said calmly, as he fixed his eyes on her, as if he were trying to figure out whether she was screwing with him purely out of boredom, or she'd actually meant what she said earlier.

"Ughh.. If you're trying to be a jerk, Dean, it's working. Look at me. If I didn't mean it, do you really think I'd have said what I did at the arena? If you think I'm only doing this because I'm bored, you really do not know me at all." Ava said as she glared at him, a little angry that naturally, because she was the daughter of HHH and the stepdaughter of Stephanie McMahon, he'd automatically assume that she was only interested in him because she was bored. Or that she was a spoiled little rich girl or something, when nothing could actually be farther from the truth.

He smirked a little as he looked at her then said casually, "You're a hot head."

"Yeah.. I kinda get that from my dad." Ava said as she looked at him, then took a deep breath. In his showing up, in her telling him she did feel something for him, she was fully aware that events were set into motion now.

But would they end up having a good outcome, or a very, very bad one.

"I never got to thank you for stopping Ben from grabbing me and Lola." Ava said quietly as Dean shrugged and said bluntly, "Ya mine. Wasn't gonna just let some guy walk out with ya."

Ava raised a brow, looked up at him and then said calmly, "Neither I or Lola are a possession."

Dean rolled his eyes and then said " Do ya just like to make me mad as hell?"

"No, but the way you said that, it's the way.."

Dean sat quietly, looked at his hands. In some ways, he'd meant it to sound that way, it was a defense mechanism, something he did to see if a person would stick around, or bail on him, as they had the tendency to do when he didn't live up to their expectations, or they realized that there was no saving the man.

"Look. I'm not gonna become some good guy. I'm gonna be me. So if ya just doing this to stir up Daddy? You can find somebody else." he grumbled as Ava laughed and then said "We're not even together, you spend over half the time we're not fighting, or almost kissing, or something trying to shove me away. Just stop it. Look, I'm messed up, you're messed up, I get it."

Dean looked at her with a bitter smirk and then said "Right, because ya had such a hard life."

Ava blinked and then laughed hollowly as she said in a stiff voice, "You don't know a damn thing about me. You only think you do, because of who my dad is, who my stepmother and her family are, how powerful they are. That's not me. None of it."

"Really?"Dean asked, a slight note of sarcasm in his voice as he held her gaze and waited on her to say something else because she acted as if she wanted to.

Ava leaned in closer and then said "For starters.. The only reason that my mother kept me was to stick it to my dad. And then she furthered that by marrying that asshole, Cipriano, and leaving a clause in her will about who'd be my guardian should she die or something. She was always pissed that my dad wouldn't just overlook her cheating on him, or her drug habit, or the drinking. And when he tried to take me away, when I was 4, that's when she basically whored herself out to Ripley Cipriano. Yet she could call my dad and try and weasle money out of him, then go and blow it on plastic surgery or another car, or sexy clothes.. At first, I honestly think that bastard hated me, but then I got older and.."

Dean looked at her, a quick surge of rage surfacing as he waited on her to finish what she'd been about to say. Now he really wanted to get her ex husband and her psychotic adoptive father in the same room and normally, he wouldn't really give a shit.

It sort of made him wonder if this really were all about getting under her skin like she'd gotten under his when he'd first met her.

"And?"

"Do I really have to say the rest, Dean? I mean do I have to draw you a diagram? Long story short, I told my mom, she confronted him and then about a week later, she 'died'. They think I don't remember what happened, but I do. Just not going to say it, because if I did.." Ava trailed off as she said quietly, "He'd do something to make sure I paid for opening my mouth. He'd hurt my dad, or my daughter, or he'd kill me and then Lola wouldn't have either one of her parents.. I mean I know my dad would take care of her, he loves her with all of his heart, but I want to be there for my daughter. Call me selfish, but that little girl is my entire world, and I do not want to leave her alone in this one."

Dean looked at her and then said calmly, "Damn." as he fidgeted uncomfortably, not sure what to do. He'd never been the really emotional type, but hearing all this sort of made him feel like an asshole for just automatically assuming that she was some 'poor little rich girl' who wanted some excitement in her life.

Lola whimpered in her sleep, rolled over and Dean looked cautiously over the side of the playpen then said nonchalantly, "Heard ya singin to her, through the door."

"Yeah, it puts her to sleep." Ava said as she leaned back, watched him looking at the little girl.

"My ma.. She never really did shit like that."

"We're a lot more alike than you thought then, I guess." Ava laughed bitterly as she leaned against him, wary of how close she let herself get to him. She still wasn't sure if this was the worst thing she could possibly do, or the best. She was still so messed up from everything she'd been through, that she wasn't sure whether she should risk this or not, especially given how her father and Dean almost tore each other apart earlier in the locker room.

"She always do that when she's sleepin?" Dean asked in concern as Lola started to whimper in her sleep again. Ava sighed and then nodding said "Yeah. I'm a shitty mother.. If I weren't, I never would have let all this happen."

"Ya not."

"Dean, I am. I exposed her to that.. That monster."

Dean stiffened at the words she used, as the words her father said to him earlier in the locker room back at the arena echoed around in his mind, yet again.

"Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't care what everyone else thinks, okay? I'm not going to sit here and judge you based on what I've heard rumors about."

"Ya say that now, but trust me.. I'm not a good guy. Never will be." Dean muttered as Ava leaned in and slid partially into his lap, sitting there, looking at him. She was trying to figure out how to explain to him what she saw when she looked at him.

Not what he saw or what everyone else saw.

Dean raised a brow at where she sat at currently, and how she was leaning in closer. He still couldn't figure out what her intentions were, or why the hell she wasn't doing the smart thing and running. But he leaned in too and muttered, "Not smart to play with fire, Ava." as his hand slid to the back of her neck, pulling her lips into his.

Ava ran her fingers through his hair and then muttered back, "I could say the same for you, Ambrose. I mean when you saved me and Lola the other day, from getting taken by Ben, you probably pissed off over half of that little mob family."

"Fuck 'em." Dean mumbled as he nipped at her lower lip, slipping his tongue past, his free hand gripping her hip as he pulled her closer, deepened the kiss.

Lola started to cry and Ava sat there a moment, resting her forehead against his as she went to stand, grabbing Lola's bottle. Dean stood and walked into the small kitchen area of the suite, his arms going around her from behind as he muttered, "Hope ya know, ya crossed a huge line in there."

Ava shrugged as she mixed up the formula for Lola's bottle and then turned and found herself chest to chest with him as she said "That was sort of my intention. But if this is just some game to you.."

"If it was a game, I woulda gotten bored by now. Ya pretty damn good at playin hard to get."

"I have to be. My daughter's my whole world and I do not want to screw up her life."

Dean walked into the room behind her and then said "Let me hold her." as Ava looked at him, her brow raised.

If he was playing a game to get in her pants, then he was damn good at hiding his real intentions from her. She let him take Lola from her and he sat down then said "Ughh. Poor kid.. This shit even smells nasty. Lola, I think we need to tell your ma that ya want somethin else. Might be why ya spit up so much."

"It's good for her. And she spits up, Dean, because she's a baby. They do that. A lot."

"Yeah, but.. It still smells like it tastes like shit. And I know that, Ava, but really.. Have ya smelled this formula?"

While holding the little girl, he found himself getting an odd feeling, really. He quickly shoved it out of his mind, because odds were, he'd fuck everything up before it ever happened.

He handed Lola back to Ava, and then smirked when he said "She's out. Again."

"Wow.. Who would have thought, Mr. Badass can put a little girl to sleep."

"Hell, I'll give ya one better. Who woulda thought a kid would actually like me?" Dean joked as Ava rolled her eyes and then said "It's not that you're not a kid person, it's just that kids can tell when an adult's scared of 'em."

"I'm not scared of her."

"You are."

Once Lola was back in her crib, Dean and Ava sat around talking for a while, then he got up to leave, go back to his room. Once he'd left and went back into his room, Ava realized that she might as well face it. One way or another, she was going to cave in. It was probably already too late for her, actually, the kiss had probably finished the caving in.

Now she just had to hope that her heart and her conscience, her gut feeling about what she was doing, how she felt, were actually right and that this didn't blow up in her face.

Down the hallway, the man smirked to himself as he dialed a number, and then said "Hey Ben? Yeah, you were right.. She is with that asshole who nearly beat the living hell out of you when you tried to take her back home where she belonged. Do you still want me to do what we discussed?"

Ben glared at the phone and then said with a smirk, "Whatever it takes." before hanging up the phone. There was no way he was losing his 'place' in the organization just because Ripley's daughter was renegging on their agreement and leaving him. And there was no way that some stranger was going to raise his kid.

"Ava, babe, you really are a stupid girl.. Do you really think I'm just gonna let you leave with our daughter? And make a fool of me in front of Ripley and all the guys?" he muttered to himself as he sat in the darkness of his den, sipping a Scotch and staring into his fireplace.

Soon enough, everything would be his, no matter what he had to do to get to the top.

He didn't care, and the bitch was going to pay for humiliating him like she had when she'd 'run home' to daddy.


	11. ch 8 - stranded together pt 1

_Stranded Together Pt 1  
_

Apparently, nobody was flying out of town tonight. The storm coming into the area was going to keep the rest of the roster stranded here at the airport. Ava stood in the lobby, cell phone in hand, scowling. She'd just tried to get a room and they were all completely full.

She called her stepmother and checked on Lola for the 9th time in about an hour, and then it hit her. She was by herself. And she was discovering that she didn't quite like that, her daughter being away from her, all that much.

But, Lola was safer with them for tonight. All day, Ava had been getting calls from an unknown number, and Ben had called once or twice, his usual 'indirect' threats, so when Stephanie asked if she and Ava's father could take Lola back with them for a weekend, let them spend time with their granddaughter, Ava had reluctantly agreed. They'd asked her to go, but she'd told them that she felt like they hardly got to spend any one on one time with Lola.. And she hadn't wanted to alert them to any danger.

And now, she was missing her little girl like crazy. And worried also, because the other caller hadn't been quite so indirect about their threats, the intent behind them. What if something happened and Ava weren't there to stop it?

She groaned and grabbed her luggage, intending to just go find a place to crash in the lobby, but she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned around to find Dean standing there, brow raised.

"Where were ya goin? And why the hell didn't ya go back with ya dad and ya stepmom?" Dean questioned, his voice coming out curious and a little demanding at the same time as he fixed his eyes on her intently.

"Because, my stepmom and Dad took Lola for the weekend. They'd been bugging me to take her for a while, so when they asked tonight, I told them they could. Kind of wishing I hadn't now.." Ava trailed off then said "Doesn't look anyone's going anywhere tonight, does it?"

"Doesn't. Hotels are full too." Dean said as his eyes roamed over her body slowly.

"I sort of needed the time to think about some stuff anyway." Ava muttered mostly to herself, but she realized what he thought almost immediately when he stiffened and then asked angrily, "Like what?"

_'Here it comes, man.. And she's gonna walk away too, starting in..' _his subconcious taunted him as he looked at her, waiting on her to give him the whole, "You're sick, we can't be together" speech he was actually quite used to hearing. What he wasn't expecting is what happened next..

Ava leaned against him warily, and ducked her head so nobody (Curtis Axle and some of the other guys, mainly, the ones who might see them, tell her father and make him angry) saw her, she dug through her pockets and then muttered, "About what I'm gonna do about some stuff." as she avoided his gaze.

Of course, he took this the complete wrong way, and he glared at her and said quietly and angrily, "I fuckin knew it. Can't handle daddy bein mad at ya, can ya?"

"Dean, don't. It's not even remotely what you're thinking right now, and frankly, I'm not in the mood for your shit right now." Ava said quietly, calmly as she looked up at him, waiting on him to walk away.

He had this habit, she'd noticed, he automatically assumed that everyone was going to leave sooner or later, or they would give up on him, hurt him. She'd figured this out relatively early on into their odd friendship and now she knew enough about him to know that she hated the way people couldn't see what she saw in him.

"Well? Isn't this the part where you storm off and write me off? You know, like you've been attempting to since day one?" Ava asked as she looked up at him, voice raising a little, mostly in fear, mostly in annoyance.

Dean gritted his teeth in anger and grabbed her wrist, practically dragging her outside. If they were gonna fight and this was gonna end, he wasn't about to give the assholes he was on the roster with the satisfaction of seeing it.

"The fuck is this coming from?" he asked as he shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, to keep from getting pissed, hitting her. Because whether he liked to admit it or not, he just didn't want to do that. Not knowing what she'd grown up in, not knowing what she'd lived through, how messed up her life was, much like his.

" You just seem to be so damn good at assuming the worst, Dean." Ava said quietly, a flat voice as she looked up at him, hurt.

She turned to walk off and he grabbed her wrist and then said "I'm not done."

"Yeah? Well I've got worse shit to worry about right now than you're damn insecurities, Ambrose. People I live might be in danger because of me.. Strike might, they are. Unless I do something."

He raised a brow, then got a sneaking suspicion he knew what she meant and growling he punched a parking meter nearby and caught up to her, grabbing her, not caring that when he did so, quite a few people gave him odd looks, began looking around the place for security.

He carried her over to the spot he'd parked the rental car he was returning and stood her on her own two feet then said firmly, "Talk now."

"Why? Did you not just assume I was done with you?"

"Damn it, woman. Are ya just tryin to make me snap?" Dean growled as he kept a firm hold on her wrist, smirking. He knew he had her, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Fine, Dean.. Do you want to know what I needed to think about?" Ava asked, her voice oddly calm and angry, cold almost as she glared up at him and thrust her cell phone at him. "Read those. Tell me, if you were in my shoes, what you'd have to think about." Ava said as she bit her lower lip, watched him reading the texts from the unknown number, and the two or three indirect threats she'd gotten from Ben today.

Dean read the texts, looked at some of the sickening 'images' some unknown number sent her, obviously to scare the living shit out of her, force her into going back, honoring the marriage she'd just gotten out of, that'd been arranged by her mother's former husband, Ripley.

Then he got to the one that indirectly hinted that he'd be hurt and he laughed. "Seriously.. This guy thinks he's something, doesn't he?"

"He can make it happen, Dean. This is not funny." Ava said quietly as she looked around nervously, biting her lip nervously as she did so.

"To me, yeah, it is."

"And why the hell is it so funny to you?"

"Because. I told ya. Ya mine, and I don't honestly give a damn about what that little wanna be mob boy and his hired idiots do. I'm not gonna just let some fuckin guy walk away with ya." Dean said calmly as he forced her to look up.

"Dean, don't.. It's my fault you're even caught in this shit."

"The hell it is. I wanted ya. I'm the one who decided I was gonna have ya one way or another. And I'm not just gonna sit back, let some dumb fuck take ya either." Dean asserted as he looked at her, then muttered, "Ya weren't seriously thinkin about goin back, were ya?"

"The thought had crossed my mind, yeah.. For Lola's safety, and my family, so he wouldn't hurt you guys." Ava said, not realizing what words she'd chosen automatically until seconds later. When she did realize it, she looked up at him and said quietly, "I got pissed in there because I get so damn sick of you thinking I'm just doing this to piss off my dad, or because I'm bored and I wanna be with a bad guy. None of that's true."

Dean studied her a moment and then she finished by saying in a quiet and thoughtful voice, "Look.. I know where your mind goes. We're actually not that different, Dean. And if I were gonna do that? I would have told you going in that all I wanted was to piss off my dad. I'm not gonna lie about what I want."

He thought about it quietly for a little while and then said calmly, " Do you even really know what ya want?"

"Actually, I've told you already."

"I'm not a good guy."

"Yeah, well, you don't see what I see either." Ava said as she shifted her bag from one shoulder to the other and said quietly, " We done?"

"For now." Dean said quietly, still letting the shock sink in.

"Good. I'm gonna go in because this rain is freezing." Ava said as she shivered and then went to walk into the building, stopping to wait on him, her hand on her hip.

Dean stubbed out the cigarette he'd lit and walked over, the entire time trying to block out the nagging subconcious voices that kept reminding him, _'Sooner or later, she will leave too. Don't get too caught up in her, they all say one thing, do the opposite. Ya too fucked up to be loved.'_

Back inside the airport, Ava called her stepmother, checked on Lola again, and then got the number of a smaller hotel in the next town by thumbing through the phone book.

Dean found Seth and Roman waiting in the lobby, and sank down in a chair.

"Lemme guess. You finally pushed too hard."

"Nope."

"What the hell's wrong then?" Roman asked as he sat down, looking at his friend.

"Nothin. Just found out that I'm gonna take my time killing her ex husband when I get my damn hands on him finally." Dean said calmly as he added, "What?"

"So if she didn't give up on you, then why the hell are you not over there with her, man? Correct me if I'm wrong, but her parents went back to Conneticutt.. Lola's with them. She's completely and totally alone, Dean. You sure that's a good idea given the situation she's in?"

"I'm in shock right now." he muttered as he raked his hand through his hair, explained the whole argument to Seth and Roman.

When he finished, they both looked at one another and began to double over laughing.

"This shit's not funny." Dean snarled as he added, "I just keep waitin on something to happen, her to come to her senses, or me to snap and fuck it all up."

Ava hung up the phone and scanned the lobby, looking for Dean. She found him sitting with Roman and Seth, having what appeared to be a deep discussion.

She walked over and stood behind him, clearing her throat as she said "I might have found a hotel.. The only problem is that it's in the next town, about 45 minutes away."

"We should get going then. All the flights out are cancelled tonight." Roman pointed out as Seth nodded in agreement, giving Dean a firm shove to make him snap back into reality.

"Yeah." Dean muttered as Ava looked at him and asked quietly, "Do you wanna ride with me? I'm not really big on driving by myself especially not in bad weather."

He looked at Seth and then Roman then grabbed his bag and caught up to Ava, holding out his hand for the keys.

Ava looked at him a moment then placed the keys into his hand.

"About before.. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Dean, it's just.. It really pisses me off when you get like that. And I'm not really good at holding my anger back."

"Why's it bother ya so much?" Dean asked in curiousity as Ava looked at him and said calmly, "Because I want you the way you are. I don't want some guy who tries to be something he's not just to impress me. I've been down that road once, I'd really prefer not to go down it again. Besides, you don't see yourself the way I see you. It pisses me off." Ava shrugged as she asked, "Are we gonna go or.."

"Yeah. You didn't get one of those ugly fucking hybrids, did you?" Dean asked as he looked at her.

"Nope. I got a Challenger this time." Ava smirked as she looked at him, biting her lip, walking a little closer to him as they walked out the door, Seth and Roman arguing loudly behind them.

For the most part, the drive to the hotel Ava found was pretty quiet. Dean drove, and he tormented himself wondering what exactly she did see when she looked at him. He wanted to ask her, but he wasn't about to.

Ava sat in the passenger seat watching him as he drove, at one point, she casually leaned across, brushed her lips to his cheek and said quietly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothin." Dean said as he looked at her then said "You weren't really gonna go back.. Were ya?"

"Hell no. Actually, I was considering taking my daughter and running. Why?"

"Because there wasn't a way in hell I was gonna just let ya leave anyway. Ya mine, remember?"

Ava laughed a little then leaned across again, whispered in his ear, "You trying to convince me, or you, Ambrose? Because I kinda figured that out already. I've said this a lot already, but I'll say it until you believe me.I'm not going anywhere. If I were, I would have already."

He bit his lower lip then looked over at her and muttered, " Why though?"

Ava shrugged mysteriously, as she finished sending a text to her father and her stepmother, checking in, letting them know she had found a hotel and no, she wasn't travelling alone.

When she'd hung up, she said quietly, " Dad's just gonna have to deal with this. I'm not hiding how I feel."

Dean looked over at her, brow raised as he said with a smirk, "You know he's gonna be mad as hell."

"And, he'll have to realize sooner or later that I'm doing something he told me a long time ago to do. I'm going with my gut and my heart. You, though. You better not make me regret this." Ava said as Dean shrugged and said "Not makin any promises. I'm a fucked up and sick guy, Ava." as he focused on driving again, his mind wandering now, already coming up with various ways he'd probably screw this up.

Ava groaned when she looked in the rearview and muttered, "Damn it. That's just freaking great."

"What?"

"Apparently, someone's following us." Ava muttered as she added, "Two cars back."

"How do ya know?"

"Because, they left the airport right after we did, before Seth and Roman. I thought they turned off two exits ago, but apparently, they fell back. Now that the traffic's almost non existant, they can't really hide."

Dean growled and then said calmly, "I'm gonna kill him." as he pulled off at a gas station, and texted Roman and Seth.

"Dude.. that crazy ex husband of hers is following them." Seth said as Roman nodded and then asked, "Lemme guess.. He was ahead of us about 10 minutes ago then turned off and got back on the interstate?"

"I noticed that too. Thought maybe some idiot got lost. You think we might finally get to put our hands on the guy?"

"Betting Dean hopes so." Roman muttered as he added, "We know how much the guy hates sharing." and pulling back onto the road.

The hotel was just in sight and Dean pulled into the parking lot. He watched the rearview and waited, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel impatiently, waiting.

About a minute later, the SUV drove past and he muttered, "Yeah, that figures. Send somebody else to do his dirt. Pussy. I knew it when I realized he was the one driving that Ferrari."

"Whoa.. You're the one who busted his windshield?" Ava asked, as she looked at Dean, stifling a laugh. Dean shrugged and said "Hey.. He's lucky it wasn't with his head. I don't share. I said ya mine, I meant it."

Seth swung the car into the empty space next to Ava's rental car and got out, calling out, "That's about right, man.. Get both of us all excited to fight, then the son of a bitch doesn't even park and see what's gonna happen." as Dean nodded and Roman said calmly, "Because he's trying to figure out if we're staying here or not. I've got a bad feeling."

Dean nodded and then said "That's why Ava's not getting out of our sight." as Ava looked at them then said "Umm, okay?" as Dean smirked, slipped his arm around her.

They walked into the hotel and got the last two suites of adjoining rooms available, luckily. Ava slid her key into the card slot on the door, and the first thing she noticed was how quiet it was. It made her miss her daughter that much more.

The bathroom door opening had her jumping and Dean stepped in, then said "Damn.. It's too quiet now."

Ava raised her brow then nodding said quietly, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I miss Lola."

"Actually, I do too.. She kinda.. She reminds me of my cousin.. I was.. I tried to take care of her." Dean admitted as he flopped down onto the bed.

"What happened?"

"CPS. Someone called, ratted out my aunt and my ma, they took her. I haven't seen or heard from her since.. I used to think about tryin to go back, find her one day, but.." Dean muttered, mostly looking at his hands, wondering why he felt the need to blurt that out.

Ava sat processing what he'd just told her about himself. It only confirmed what she felt about him, what she saw when she looked at him, as opposed to what everyone else seemed to see.

"My stepmom tried that. Ripley got it overrode." Ava said quietly as she leaned back, against Dean, trying to warm up.

"Cold?"

"Mhmm." Ava said as he leaned closer, pulled her into a slightly rough and intense kiss. Ava groaned and then said quietly, "Warmer now." as the kiss broke.

"Thought so." Dean said with a smirk.

"Oh haha." Ava muttered as she stood and walked to the window, looked out. The storm looked like it was just about to get really bad. "We might have gotten off the road just in time. Looks nasty out there."

"Ya not scared are ya?" Dean asked, snickering in amusement.

"Kiss my ass, Ambrose."

"Ya ass all over, Levesque."

The SUV turned around and the man parked at a rest stop, made a quick call. "Yeah, it was her, she was with that fucking guy. You want me to go back?"

Ben smirked to himself on the other end of the phone line then said "Not just yet. Just lie low for now. If they saw you like you think they did, then they'll be expecting you to show up tonight, try something.. We wait until they're not expecting it and then we show Ava what happens when you walk away from me."

"Sure thing, boss." the man said as he leaned back in his seat, settled in. He'd been hoping to get this over with, but apparently, now he'd be following them a while. Didn't make the man too happy. Personally, he'd rather just do what he was expected to do, leave and collect his reward. The longer a job took the more antsy it made the man of being caught.

The idea of prison just didn't set well with him. Nor did the idea of walking away from a job he was hired to do. Ben and Ripley hired him to 'send a message' and bring the girls back. And he wasn't going to stop until he'd done just that.


	12. ch 8 - stranded together pt 2

_Stranded Together Pt 2  
_

_( slightly intense heavy makeout,** almost** sex. mild m rating.. Hey.. you try having Ambrose's horny ass (and being hormonal to boot) as a muse, damn it.. Anyway, enjoy. Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying, occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

The storm raged on outside, the lights in the hotel room flickering and surging as if any moment they'd go off. Ava, of course, was on high alert and found herself bolting through the bathroom door that seperated her room from Dean's room at a little after 11 pm.

Dean sat up swearing as the door flew open, then saw Ava standing there, pacing the room, biting her lip as if she were a caged animal and she was going stir crazy. "I, umm, I.." she started as Dean looked at her, trying not to laugh as he said calmly, "Ya act like ya got scared."

"A little bit, yeah." Ava admitted as she sat down on the loveseat in the room, leaned back only to jump up when the thunder roared seconds later outside. Dean snickered, he found this oddly comical, that she could face anything else, but a storm.. Not gonna happen.

"Guessin there's not a chance I'm getting back to sleep?" he asked as he stretched and stood. Ava's throat felt like it might close when she realized that he slept in boxers only. She tried not staring like an ass, but she couldn't avoid it, sadly. It'd been a really long time since she'd actually gotten a look at a man in this state of undress and actually enjoyed said view. Of course, this only fed his ego and he winked casually, then asked, "Like what ya lookin at?"

Ava's face heated and her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson beneath her olive complexion as she bit her lip and tried to be casual about it. "Maybe." she answered with a shrug as she tried to avoid her eyes sliding slowly over his body, tried to get her throat to open back up so she could effectively breathe again.

And then Dean actually got a look at what she slept in and like Ava, he suffered the same suckerpunch effect physically. His eyes wandered slowly over her body as he raked his hand through his hair and looked at her. He didn't care that he was staring and it probably made her uncomfortable, she belonged to him, as he saw it, he'd look as much as he damn well pleased.

Ava blushed again. Another thing she hadn't had happen to her in a long time.. A man to actually look at her, with the intention on his mind burning clearly in his eyes. The thunder roared again and the lightning flashed, sending her from the couch to his lap.

"That might not of been smart." Dean muttered as he turned her to face him, his hands sliding slowly down her body, resting just at the small of her back as he remarked, "Damn.. Ya tinier than ya look."

"Am not. You're just trying to get in my pants, Ambrose. Not rushing anything, remember?"

"Yeah. And I'm wonderin why the fuck I said it now." he muttered as he pulled her possessively against him, nipping her lower lip, her neck, growling a little as he did so. Ava leaned against him, her forehead pressed against his, breathing heavily as his large rough hands moved over her skin slowly. Biting her lower lip she muttered quietly, "Now who's not being smart?"

Dean looked at her, smirking as he leaned in, nibbled her lower lip again and tangled his hand in her long brown/blonde hair and said casually, "Yeah? Well I'm not the one sittin on ya lap, now am I? I think ya bein a tease."

"Oh right, ha." Ava muttered as she leaned in, nibbling his lower lip, her finger trailing down his chest over the ripples his muscles made, stopping her finger about midway down, looking at him before saying, "If I were being a tease, Ambrose.. I'd have come over here in much less than this. I actually came over here because the storm has me paranoid and I couldn't sleep."

"Right." Dean muttered as he winked at her, smirking when he saw her 'annoyed' look. "Alright, damn." he mumbled as Ava went to stand, go back to her side of the couch they sat on. His hands gripped her hips firmly as he leaned in, muttered darkly, "Told ya it wasn't smart, sittin in my lap like that, Ava." as his eyes met hers, he held her gaze for a good 5 minutes all while letting his hands wander idly all over her body, one resting just beneath the hem of the t shirt she wore to sleep in his thumb rolling slowly over the soft skin as he leaned in, nipped at her neck.

"Dean, this isn't.. It's not a good idea."

"Funny, because it seems like a damn good idea to me, Ava." Dean muttered as he watched her eyes take on this sexy almost golden gleam as she looked down at him from her perch on his lap. His index finger trailed slowly over her plump bottom lip and he groaned as he pulled her lower body against him roughly, muttered something she couldn't make out under his breath.

Ava muttered something in the little Puerto Rican she remembered from her childhood, and Dean blinked, demanded, "Say it again." as he ground her lower body against him again, to prove to her that what she'd done, when she got scared and jumped into his lap would have repercussions, if she weren't careful. Ava bit her lower lip as he ground her torso against himself and felt herself stomach fluttering, felt wetness pooling between her thighs. Breathing heavily, she nipped at his earlobe and whispered what she'd said in Puerto Rican into his ear. He growled as he gave a tug at her long brown/blonde hair and licked slowly down her neck.

The lights flickered once, and then went out completely. Ava leaned heavily against Dean, her heart racing as she muttered, "This is not a good idea.. I mean we really shouldn't be.."

Dean held a finger to her lips and smirking said calmly, "Ya started it." as his hand slid higher below the hem of the shirt she slept in. A few seconds found her lying back on the loveseat, Dean towering over her, pinning her down with his hips as he sucked her neck, her chest and shoulders, leaving bite marks behind in small and large trails, not bothering to keep some of them hidden as he growled, "Mine." and slid her leg up to rest at his hip and continued to attack her lips hungrily, slightly forcefully.

Ava groaned and arched her back, chest to chest with him as she looked up and said quietly, "I umm.. I really don't do this kind of thing a lot.. And not casually." as she tried to catch her breath, trailed a finger just below the waistband of his boxers. Yes, she realized this was most definitely not a bright idea, given the fact that she'd promised herself that she was not going to rush into anything, especially not with Dean Ambrose of all people, but she just ..

She'd gotten to a point by this time that it was either cave in completely, let him have her like he was determined to do and hope to God her original suspicions about his intentions were not right, that everything her stepmother, her father and her few friends said about him weren't right, or get up and bolt out of the room. And the more his hands moved over her skin, the more intense his kisses became, the harder she felt him getting, the more he turned her on, the more she realized that even if she wanted to get up and bolt now - which shockingly she didn't, despite knowing everything about the man who had her pinned beneath him - she probably wouldn't be able to.

In essence, he'd already pretty much won her. And she was only just now realizing that fact.

"Kinda figured that." Dean muttered as he tried to remind himself just how angry and bitter he'd be when she left him and just how badly he'd ultimately wind up fucking this up. He always did, sooner or later. Nothing good ever lasted in his life. It never had, why would it now.

Just as soon as his finger hooked into the thin string band of the lace underwear she wore, the door was knocked on, and Seth and Roman called out from the hallway, "Let us in, man. It's important."

Dean swore loudly, then looked at Ava a moment, wondering if she regretted now almost going that far with him. She didn't look like it, but again, the voices in his mind were nagging at him, taunting him, _'not good enough, ambrose, never good enough. she's never going to stick around. she'll leave sooner or later, just like every single one of the others you really cared about did. that's if you don't fuck up and scare her away first.. and what about her kid? no kid's gonna wanna grow up with a loser like you pretending to be daddy.. besides, ambrose, ya too damn sick to have kids. ya only gonna hurt 'em both.'_

Ava pouted as she realized that no, she didn't regret what almost happened. Sure, it was a little faster than she'd like, but she knew how she felt, and she knew that it was probably one of slim few ways she'd get him to realize that he'd already won. He had her to himself, completely and totally. Lola already loved the guy, even though she was too small to understand what was going on, even if Dean didn't realize this.

Dean got up after throwing on some sweats and muttering, "Don't move." and walked to the door, opening it.

"Ava is not safe in her room. Or alone. That SUV from earlier? Sitting down in the parking lot. So either the person driving has gotten a room and he's in this hotel, or he's sitting down there, lying in wait."

Dean growled and fumbled around for a t shirt then some kind of weapon, but Seth and Roman stopped him and said with smirks, "The best thing to do is to act like we're totally unaware. Then tomorrow, we catch that ass off guard."

Dean smirked and said "I like that. Now can ya both get the hell out of here?" grumpily. Seth and Roman exchanged looks and then they realized what they had just proceeded to interrupt.

But with his anger and paranoia at an all time high, when he closed the door, Dean knew the mood was gone. At least for now. He turned to Ava and said quietly, "Get ya stuff."

They made their way through the bathroom that connected their rooms, and Ava grabbed her things.

While all this was going on, down the hallway, Curtis Axle realized that Ava Levesque was sharing a room with none other than Dean Ambrose. And he felt himself getting angry. And with a smirk, he made a call and told the one person he knew all too well that would tell her father next time he got the chance.

"If I can't fucking have her, Ambrose.. There is no way in hell a no good bum like you is gonna have her either." he muttered darkly as he lie back in his bed and seethed about it in anger.

He was a better guy than Dean, he knew it, everybody knew it. And he wasn't going to rest until he'd broken the spell and hold that Dean Ambrose had over Ava Levesque and her little girl. He growled and rolled his eyes in annoyance as he remembered overhearing Lola referring to Dean as 'dada' a week or so before. "Over my dead damn body." he muttered as he waited on the fallout of what he'd just done.

And down the hallway farther, the man Ben hired to bring home his slut of an ex wife, and his little girl sat in a dark room, just waiting. Soon, it'd be time for him to make his move. Little did he realize that up the hall, Seth, Roman and Dean were all onto him, and planning their own little strategy.

Dean looked at the other two males as Ava lie in the bed, asleep and then back at her as he said in a cool and calm voice, "Neither of 'em get hurt. He's not gonna get his damn hands on her or Lola. We clear?"

Seth and Roman nodded as Dean said "Good."

"Oh.. There might be trouble on all fronts.. I thought I saw Axle's rental car in the lot earlier too. So, if he's here, you can bet he's gonna find some way to tell Triple H who's here with you."

"And when he does, I'm gonna kick his ass. Until then, we worry about this shit. Not that prick." Dean stated calmly, as he added, "Like I'm afraid of daddy or some shit. I told him, he wasn't gonna stop me from wantin her, hell from wantin both of 'em. He's not."

Lying in the bed, Ava was in and out of sleep, but she happened to hear him. Slowly a smile crept onto her face. Maybe trusting her gut and her heart and not what everyone else said or thought, or her mind was a good thing she was doing.

True, he might be an asshole, he might be a little crazy, and a little too brutal with his honesty, a little too quick to anger, but he was what he was. And he hadn't backed down with her.. He did make her feel safer, even when by all counts, he shouldn't.

The door to the room shut and Ava called out quietly, "Get your ass over here and sleep. Now."

Dean raised a brow in the dark and for a moment, hesitated. Then he slid down into the bed beside her. "Ya mine. I'm not gonna let anything happen. So don't ya even think of doing something stupid and goin back to save ya family and whoever else. Ya just stay the hell out of this, let me do what I have to do."


	13. ch 8 - stranded together pt 3

_Stranded Together Pt 3  
_

_( Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying(special apologies if he or HHH is ooc in this chapter, I tried to get into both their mindsets in the given situation and it was really, really hard), occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

* * *

The bleak and gray morning greeted her as she rolled over onto her stomach, realized she wasn't in the oversized hotel bed alone. For a moment, blind panic set in, because she didn't remember being freaked out the night before during the worst of the storm and running into Dean's room for comfort.

A lot of people would be willing to argue that statement, about his being too creepy to possibly allow her any comfort and safety, but Ava, well.. She felt safest with him.

Okay, so not as safe as say, her father, but still.. They were in a close race.

Dean grumbled as he felt her moving around. She finally got still, he opened his eyes, lying there, watching her. He half expected to wake this morning, discover she'd panicked about how far they did eventually go the night before, and have bolted out before he even woke up.

Not find her sleeping on her stomach, face shoved beneath a pillow to block out light and sound while she slept beside him currently. Not to wake up, find that after they'd showered, after picking up where they left off the night before, she'd also gotten up, stolen one of his t shirts and gotten back into bed.

Of course, she'd sort of had to, because he'd ripped her own t shirt right off her when he finally realized she wasn't changing her mind, nor was she going to stop them from going that far.

She rolled over, buried her face beneath the covers, against his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her head as he lie there remembering the night before. They'd practically trashed the hotel room around them in the process of doing what they'd done the night before.

Then his whole mental battle began again. His mind started spouting random things he'd done, things that made him a monster, things that indicated he was crazy to even consider being with her and being around her daughter.

_'Ya shot some girls dog when ya were in high school, man. Because she told ya she loved ya and she needed the peace to study.. But ya still shot her dog. And she left. You're sick. You're a sick and cold man, and there is no way in hell this will work.'_

_**'On the other hand.. If the damn welfare people would have let ya, ya know ya would have taken care of ya baby cousin. Ya loved that kid. Ya not a bad guy, ya just do bad stuff for the right reasons.'** _

He finally realized that he wasn't getting back to sleep any time in the foreseen future, so he lie there, letting the great debate of his conscience (if he really called it that) and what he wanted, what he was determined to keep now that he had her, rage on.

Ava rolled over and leaned up on her elbow, propping her chin on her hand, looking at him through a curtain of brown/blonde hair, her leg raised a little, crossed behind her, as she bit her lip in thought.

So last night, she'd definitely gotten carried away, and went farther than she'd intended. All the way too far, to be exact. And now, in the early morning, she was realizing that not only did she absolutely not regret it, if she had last night to do over again, she'd do it.

Something inside her kept telling her that she needed to stop doubting herself, she was doing the right thing, and she was doing something that other people might not understand, her family might be furious at her for doing, but currently, she didn't really care.

She loved him, she was beginning to realize this now. She'd probably loved him all along, even after all the fighting and their claims otherwise when they initially met.

And whether he ever said so or not, she had this feeling that he felt more than he cared to admit for her, and maybe even for Lola, given the fact that he rarely had anything to do with kids, but lately, he'd been spending more time around Lola. He still seemed reluctant to get attached, but for Ava, this spoke volumes about his real intent.

Or she had to hope it did.

"So.. ya think that little shit Axle's told ya dad yet?" Dean asked stiffly, as he looked at her. If she were going to walk out on him, her dad would be the nail in the coffin, the end of them.

Ava shrugged and then said quietly, "When he does, because I'm sure he will, I'll tell my dad that I'm an adult. And that it's my call. Then I'm gonna remind him about something he and my stepmom told me once about listening to my heart."

Dean raised a brow, blinked at her. That hadn't taken much thought. If she were screwing with him because she were bored, then she was pretty damn good at lying. He liked to think that since he'd done his fair share of lying, he knew when someone was full of shit. And right now, she looked completely serious.

Which only made his mind speak up and insist, _'but you also haven't terrified her. you haven't snapped at her in a jealous rage, yet. you haven't lost your temper with her completely yet. so she really doesn't know you, now does she? because ya know how ya are, the things that you think but never say.'_

Ava rolled onto her back, looking up at him as she asked quietly, "What are you thinking about? Whatever it is, it's got you really, really mad."

He shrugged it off and leaned down, his hand resting at her hip as he muttered quietly, "Not a damn thing, Ava."

"Right."

The pounding on the door and the door bursting open moments later, had them both looking up, and Ava groaned internally as her father stepped into the room and said calmly, stiffly, "Get in the hall, Ava."

"No, dad."

"I mean it, Ava. When I told you not to travel alone if you stayed? It did not mean you go behind my back, do what I told you not to do, and with this piece of crap, at that." Hunter said as he looked at Dean and growled, "You.. You're dead, kid."

"Try it, HHH."

"Oh trust me, Ambrose. I'm about to, just as soon as Ava's out of this room. Ava I said go. Now. Go get your stuff, you're comin back with me." Hunter said firmly, giving Ava the look that when she was a child, had her cowering and running off to do what she'd been told. To his surprise, Ava looked at him and stood between him and Dean as she said "No, dad."

"Fine. But you're just going to watch me kill him."

"Dad? I love you.. But I love him too."

Hunter blinked as he looked from Ava to Dean and then growling said to Dean, "You got in her head and you're using her. I don't know how you did it or why? But I'm not gonna bother finding out. Because I'm going to kill you."

"Dad, remember what you and mom did when Grandpa Vince put you two in this position?" Ava asked as Dean looked down at her, raised brow. He certainly hadn't expected this. And he found himself wondering if he could really do this.. If he could really keep her, and not scare her away. If he'd ever really be good enough or feel like he was.

This pissed him off, but not enough to say calmly, firmly, "Ava, do what ya dad says. Get outta here. We're gonna settle this. And I doubt ya wanna see it."

Ava groaned and slipping on the sweats he'd been wearing the night before, she walked out into the hallway. She turned a corner, ran into her stepmom who asked, "Did your dad come here?"

"Yeah. Now he and Dean are trying to outmacho one another. Damn it." Ava muttered as Stephanie handed her Lola and then asked, "What do you want?"

"Mom.."

"No, just be honest with yourself.. Do you want to be with him? Even after everything you've heard and seen since he got called up to the main roster?"

Ava dug through the pockets of his sweats because she felt a vibration in one of them and she found his phone. It was a text from Seth, but when she went to unlock the phone to reply, she saw his home screen wallpaper..

She bit her lip and then held out his phone as she said quietly, "If he really were the ice cold asshole he pretends to be.. Would he really have this as his wallpaper?"

Stephanie looked at the picture and then asked, "How'd he get that?" because it was a picture of Ava and Lola asleep.

"One day last week, we stayed at the hotel, talking and watching tv. I fell asleep with Lola, and he let me sleep for probably 2 hours. I guess he took it then." Ava muttered, shocked by the discovery.

"If it helps.. I tried to stop your father as soon as Heyman sent that text. But I couldn't, you know how he gets when he thinks one of us is in danger or something." Stephanie said as she said, "I've been in this same spot, actually. It's hard."

"Is he ever going to come around, Mom?"

"Eventually, yes. I don't approve of you sneaking around and doing this, but I understand why you had to. And if you see something good in the guy, I'll try to."

Inside the hotel room, the two men glared hatefully at one another as Dean said firmly, "I told ya, HHH. Ya weren't gonna stop me from wantin 'em. Do you see any fear in my eyes?"

"No, but I know what you're capable of too, kid. And that's my baby girl out there. I've got to protect her from assholes like you."

"Funny.. If ya were gonna do that, why not start with that son of a bitch Ben?" Dean flared as he leaned against a wall and then said "I'm not gonna back down. Do what ya have to, but trust me.. I'm gonna fight ya."

Hunter looked at Dean with a raised brow. The kid almost seemed like he were being dead serious. Like it had to be Ava and Lola. And the look in his eyes.. It sort of reminded him of how he and Vince went neck and neck while he was trying to see Stephanie, before they married.

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Hunter said as he muttered, "And I'm gonna fight back."

"Or ya could just let her make up her own mind."

"I could, but then you'd hurt her and prove me right." Hunter said as he smirked, clenched and unclenched his fist. A voice from the doorway had him turning, had Dean glancing to the door.

Then Hunter saw it. The way he looked at her. Almost like whatever he felt scared the hell out of him and made him angry because for once he couldn't stop or control it. He couldn't write it off and he couldn't ignore it.

Then he realized just how much Dean reminded him of himself with the determination, the cockiness, the no fear of noone.

"Dad? I need to say something. Can you come outside?"

Hunter glared at Dean and then said stiffly, "Coming." as he followed Ava out into the hallway. Ava shifted Lola in her arms and Lola gurgled then mumbled one of her few 'words' as she pointed at the door, probably meaning she wanted to see Dean.

"Remember when I was little? Remember what you told me?"

"What?"

"You told me to trust my heart and my gut. And after Ben, I.. I didn't think I could.. And I didn't trust Dean completely, I'll be honest.. Until I actually got to know him. And now, my heart's telling me not to give up. No matter what happens."

"Basically, you're telling me that you're gonna keep seeing him."

"Basically, dad, yes. I love you, and I am falling for him. And I want to try. I want to give him a chance. I'm not a baby anymore, dad. I realize you're still on alert because of the mess I got myself into with Ben, but trust me, dad.. If I got even the slightest feeling this was going to be worse than Ben, or bad even, I never would have made friends with him and let myself fall. I have to be able to trust myself again."

Hunter grumbled and looked at her as he said quietly, "If he hurts you.. If you even think he's going to do something to hurt you. Get out. Don't look back."

"Dad.. We're going to fight, and we're going to hurt each other. But when you honestly think about it.. Who doesn't? Remember the thing with Grandpa Vince and Mom a few weeks ago? When you fought and they were stopping you? Remember how mad you both got at one another?"

"Yeah."

" All I'm asking is don't make me sneak around and lie to you or Mom. I hate doing that. I'm not saying you can't butt in or that I don't want you butting in if you see something you don't like or approve of.. But I don't want to have to sneak around like a kid.. Because let's face it.. We both know I was a wild teenager, and I did try that quite a few times.. I sucked epically at it too, as I recall."

"You did." Hunter muttered as he managed a smirk and then said calmly, "If he fucks up, Ava, I will kill the guy."

"I know, dad. And that's the biggest reason I love you. Because you are the overprotective dad. You are always going to be my daddy, you're always gonna be my first love.. But you're gonna have to share one day too."

"But Ambrose, seriously?" Hunter scoffed as Ava looked up at him, nodding as she said quietly, "Hey. It's not Axle or some other jerk. You don't see what I see in him. Hell, he doesn't see it either. But I do. It's all about perception."

After a little while longer, her father eventually calmed down. He wasn't happy about it, but Stephanie also butted in and reminded him about what they'd resorted to, when Vince issued her the ultimatium he had, when they were first seeing each other.

"Can you guys leave Lola? I missed my baby girl." Ava admitted sheepishly as Stephanie nodded and handed her Lola's diaper bag from the car and said quietly, "If he even starts to scare you, promise me you get out."

"I promise, Mom. I just hope he doesn't make me do that." Ava admitted as she hugged her parents, waved goodbye to them, before turning and walking back into the hotel.

While all of this was happening, Dean paced the hotel room, angry, not calming down. His mind kept taunting him, kept bringing all the different ways this would go, and none of them were good. He kicked at the bed frame and scowled before punching a wall. She'd probably left without so much as saying goodbye. He flopped down onto the couch then growled and stood, going to take a shower. He kept thinking back to last night, how it felt to finally be with someone like that, sort of feel that connection.. Now he'd probably lose it, and he was furious about this. He heard the door opening, and started to call out 'Fuck off' thinking it'd be Seth or Roman, coming to see if he were okay, but instead, he grabbed his jeans, a white t shirt and dressed, stepped into the room from the bathroom, shocked as he saw Ava sitting on the couch.

She flopped onto the couch in Dean's room and held Lola, who was sleeping, against her as Dean stepped into the room his hair damp from a shower, his eyes sort of had this bitter and cold look in them for a moment. "What?" she asked casually, as she shifted Lola in her arms, turned a little to look at him. Dean looked at them both, his hand in his damp hair as he shrugged and said quietly, "Figured ya would wind up goin back with them."

"Yeah? Well I didn't, okay? I meant what I said."

"Stephanie actually left Lola here, knowin ya here with me?" Dean asked as Ava nodded and then said "It's not even noon and it's already been a damn exhausting day. I'm going to personally knock all of Axle's teeth down his throat when I see him again, remind me I said that."

Dean chuckled then said "Nah. Ya gonna stay the hell out of it. I'm gonna handle that little jackass."

"Damn it, Dean, I'm not defenseless. I can handle myself, and that really pissed me off. Granted, I was going to tell Dad when he and Mom flew back in Monday morning, but still. I wanted to at least have more time to think of what I was going to say."

He almost asked her why the hell she stayed, but for now, he kept that question to himself. He sat down on the couch beside her and chuckled when Lola started to wake up, reached for him, tried to grab his hair.

"She's gonna be one of those dirty fighters."

"She's gonna be a ballerina, Ambrose, do not give her any ideas. Freaks me out enough when she tries to stand up, falls down again on her butt."

"Ya ma worries too damn much." Dean joked as he held Lola and then asked, "Have you seen my phone?"

"Yeah.. Here. Seth texted a little while ago, but I was having the talk with the parentals, I didn't get to answer him."

Dean took his phone and scanned over the text as he grunted under his breath and said "Yeah.. They coulda told us that shit BEFORE ya dad kicked the fuckin door in." as Ava laughed and then said "Let me guess. They saw him and they were warning you, asking if you needed help."

"Basically, yeah." Dean said as he turned on the tv and tried to get himself calm again. Okay, so for now, she was still here. But how much longer until he scared her away too?


	14. ch 8 - stranded together pt 4

_Stranded Together Pt 4  
_

_( Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying(special apologies if he is ooc in this chapter, I tried to get into his mindsets in the given situation and it was really, really hard), occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

* * *

He woke up the second he heard it and sitting up, he rubbed his eyes, caught sight of the clock. It took a few seconds to realize what the noise was, but when he did, he got up in the dark, making his way to the crib Lola was sitting up in, looking around.

"Hey." he muttered as he leaned down, looked at her. He wasn't really sure what the hell to do, or what she might want even, sure, he'd taken care of his baby cousin when he'd been younger, but she'd been a bit older than Lola.. He looked at the bed, Ava was still sound asleep, he saw no real sense in waking her up.

Then the thunder from the 3rd of the storms that'd been raging all day long, since this morning kicked in, and he saw her covering her face, flinching. Didn't really take an idiot to figure out the little girl was scared of the noise outside and maybe hungry.. Her bottle was empty, he noticed.

"Shit, damn it." he muttered as he dug around in the bag full of Lola's stuff and found the nastiness that was the formula she drank. He wrinkled his nose as he picked it up, and then smirked as he thought of something..

"We're gonna try somethin, Lola." he muttered as he worked around the slight fear and reluctance he felt at picking her up, and carried her into the part of the room that held the mini fridge, got out the milk Ava had gotten earlier to eat Lucky Charms with.

"Ya ma's asleep. One time without that damn formula won't kill ya, now will it?" he muttered as the little girl seemed to realize she wasn't getting the usual formula bottle, and sort of made a giggling or cooing sound.

"Ha. Ya like that, don't ya?" he asked as he stuck the milk into the microwave for a few seconds to knock some of the chill off and then poured it from glass to bottle after testing it against his skin, making sure it wasn't too damn hot for her.

The thunder roared again, and Lola buried her head against his neck, peeking at him through her fingers. "Scawy."

"Yeah, I know." Dean muttered as he laughed a little and then said quietly, "Truthfully? Not a real big fan of 'em myself."

Ava rolled over in the bed and found the other side empty. She sat up, then heard Dean talking quietly in the other part of the room. Getting up, she realized Lola wasn't in the crib and then with a raised brow, Ava peeked through the doorway that seperated the sleeping area from the sitting area, and stifled a laugh as she watched Dean walking the room, pacing actually, while holding Lola, talking to her.

"Mr. Badass my ass." she muttered to herself as she stepped into the room, yawning and asked, "Why didn't you get me up?"

Dean looked at her, shrugged. "ya were out cold. Damn storm kept me awake." Internally, he too was wondering the same thing.. Why hadn't he just woken her up? He wasn't by any means a kid friendly type guy. And there was the fact that he was sort of afraid deep down that he'd do something to hurt either of them the very first time he really and truly lost his temper around them.

As much as he claimed otherwise, he actually didn't want this to happen.

Ava raised her brow, but said nothing. "How the hell did you get her back to sleep? Normally, with me, it's hours when there's a storm going on. She hates them."

Dean shrugged as he looked down, realized she was out like a light. And that she'd spit up. He grabbed for one of his t shirts then said "Probably not good for her to sleep in somethin she puked on." as he held out the shirt and the sleeping little girl to Ava and then said quietly, "About earlier.."

Ava shook her head then when he walked into the bathroom, she looked at the shirt he'd handed her, stifled a laugh and smiled to herself in the dark. He could say whatever the hell he wanted, but it was things like this that only really made her see what everyone else ignored. And on some level, she knew that he didn't see it, and he'd always be paranoid.

They'd gotten to know each other very well by now, she knew his past, he knew hers.. So she understood why his mind went places like it had earlier, when she'd walked out to talk to her father and her stepmother for a while.. She found herself wanting to find the people who made him this way and give them a huge piece of her mind.

Dean stood in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror, going over everything that was happening in his mind. He was actually still shocked she hadn't left earlier. The voices that kept telling him that nothing really good ever lasted in his life kept at him, and it pissed him off.

Then he though about a few minutes ago when he'd gotten up, taken care of Lola. Or how hard he'd been willing to fight when her father had shown up, making demands on Ava. He had no doubt he'd have fought like his life depended on it or something, if it'd come down to that.

_'ya love her. but ya know what you're capable of, and what happens when ya love somebody. ya always do somethin stupid, fuck it up. ya own mother said ya were a mistake eventually, man.'_

_'just see where it goes. maybe this time...'_

_'no maybe this time. ya will mess this up sooner or later.'_

Ava settled herself and Lola into the bed, as she waited on Dean to come out of the bathroom. She thought back to what she'd seen just now, smiled to herself as she looked down at Lola, who was currently wearing a Cincinatti Reds shirt.

"Dear god.. He had to put you in that one, huh?" she muttered as she smiled then called out quietly, "You alright in there?"

"I'm good. She still asleep?"

"Yeah. And again I ask.. How in the hell did you do that?"

"Honestly? I got no damn clue." Dean said as he slid down into the bed, raising a brow at Lola's being in between them, but relaxing a little when Ava said "Apparently, Dean, my daughter isn't afraid of you. And if the storm's freaking her out, maybe being in bed with us will help her sleep."

"But it won't hurt her?"

"No. I'm only gonna let her stay in here for a few minutes. Missed sleepin with her. I'm kinda stingy with my baby girl, Friday and last night were the first nights since she was born that she wasn't with me." Ava admitted as Dean nodded and then raised a brow in the dark when the little girl rolled over onto her side, snuggling against him a little.

"She knows you're there."

Dean nodded and then said quietly, "Nah."

Ava raised slightly, leaned over Lola and kissed him on the cheek then said quietly, "She does, and she feels safe. Don't argue with me. Trust me. If she didn't, she wouldn't have anything to do with you."

After a few minutes, Ava got up and put Lola back in her crib, once she was satisfied that Lola was back to sleep for the rest of the night. Then she snuggled against Dean and muttered, " I was so tempted to put a picture of you with her on Twitter just now. It was so cute.. Mr. Badass."

Dean growled, nipped at her neck and then said "Don't forget that either." as he added, "Ya gonna wiggle around all night or.."

"Excuse me? You snore."

"Really, cause ya do too, princess."

Ava stuck her middle finger up at him in the semi darkened room and he chuckled and muttered quietly, his lips next to her ear, "We already did, princess.. But we can again, I mean if that's an offer." as he leaned over and flashed her his cockiest smirk.

"Sleep, damn it. Today was so fucking exhausting. I can't even.. I want to, but just too damn tired."

"Now that ya mention it.."

"Night, babe." Ava muttered as she happened to notice her cell phone lit up on the nightstand. She picked it up and then grumbled, swearing as she said quietly, "And just when I think things are gonna be okay."

She showed Dean the text from her ex husband and he growled and said calmly, "Let 'im try it. I'll fuckin kill him." as Ava nodded and leaning up, pulled him down closer to her lips, pulled him into a kiss as she said quietly, "I know.. You're probably the only man I really feel safe with, not countin my dad."

He raised a brow, started to say something, but she shook her head and then said quietly, "Just don't. Let's just sleep, 'kay? We'll worry about this shit in the morning."

When she fell asleep, he lie there, thinking about everything that'd happened earlier in the day, to now, and then muttered, "Just gonna go with it." as he pulled her body against him, tried to get some sleep himself.

And down the hall, Ben's hired man was finalizing his plans. This had to work or he wouldn't be getting paid anytime soon. And the man did love his money.


	15. ch 8 - stranded together pt 5

_Stranded Together Pt 5  
_

_( Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying(special apologies if he is ooc in this chapter, I tried to get into his mindsets in the given situation and it was really, really hard), occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

* * *

"That's the last of it, right?" Dean asked as they finished attempting to cram all their suitcases and Lola's stuff into the trunk of the rental car. Finally the storms that'd had them grounded and stuck in one town for a little over 3 days now had passed through.

"Yeah. That's it. Wait.. Have you seen my cell phone charger?" Ava asked as Dean grumbled then smirking fished the key card out of his pocket as he said calmly, "Lucky for ya I didn't turn it in yet." and walked back into the hotel with her, Lola asleep in her arms.

They'd just punched the up button on the hotel's elevator when a man ran over, and slid inside with them. For some unknown reason, Dean tensed. He wasn't really sure why exactly, but he did know he just didn't like the guy, there was something not right about him entirely.

_'wow. one crazy found another. doesn't mean it's the guy behind sendin all those pictures to Ava. but just in case, you know where ya put the pocketknife, Ambrose, ya know what ya might have to do.' _his conscience or 'anti conscience' said quietly, calmly.

Stepping behind her, putting himself between the man and Ava and Lola, he slid his hands on her hips, nipped at her neck, teasing her like normal so she wouldn't notice the guy and get paranoid either. He'd seen the guy on the elevator with them currently about 2 or 3 times over the past few days, here and there, but not enough to raise the normal person's suspicions..

Dean, however, was by no means a normal man. It didn't take much to make him paranoid, took one hell of a lot less to make him really and truly angry. Which currently, considering that his paranoia was at an all time high where Ava and Lola were concerned, even if he didn't ever admit to feeling protective of the two of them, was not a hard thing to do, make him really snap.

Ava noticed how Dean seemed to hold her and Lola closer, have a tighter, almost painful grip on her hips with his hands, and she also noticed him eyeing the guy in the elevator with them suspiciously. She leaned back a little, whispered in his ear, "Something wrong, babe?"

"That guy's really startin to piss me off." Dean muttered back, his lip grazing her earlobe as he added in an even quieter whisper, "I've been seein him around the hotel off and on since we checked in."

"And you think.."

Dean held a finger to his lips and when Lola reached for him, he took her, kept one hand firmly planted on Ava's hip which of course, kept him between her and the man standing behind them currently. Dean smirked because he could see the steel doors in the elevators how they reflected the slightly angered look on the mans face as he did this.

The elevator stopped on their floor and he nudged Ava muttered, "Get off the lift."

"Dean.."

"Go now, damn it, woman. ya really gonna argue me right now?" as he looked at her and then thought of something.. Something about this seemed too easy, really. And if Ben really had someone hired to go after Ava and her daughter..

Why the hell would the guy show up while Dean was around, unless..

He grabbed hold of her wrist as she went to step off the lift and then said quietly, "Nevermind. Stay on here."

The man cleared his throat and Dean gave a smirk and a nod, eyeing him. The doors closed again and Dean nudged Ava, eyeing the up button as she nodded.

Then Dean turned around and calmly grabbed the man by the throat and smirking said "Ya thought ya were real fuckin smart, didn't ya? I'd have sent her off with Lola, there would have been someone waiting to grab 'em. Well, ya really gonna have to try harder.. Tell that sack of shit Ben if he wants 'em? He's gonna go through my dead body to get 'em."

The man growled and tried to get Dean's hand off his throat right as the elevator slid open at a new floor. Dean dropped his hand quickly and with a wink, fluffed the guys hair then said with a calm voice, "Ya kinda pissed yourself there. Might wanna go check on that. And tell Ben I look forward to talkin to him face to face, real soon."

He got Ava and Lola off the lift quickly and grumbling, he kissed Ava's forehead as he said "Fuck the lift, we're takin the damn stairs back down." as he looked around quickly, making sure noone was hiding.

"Wow.. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe your paranoia really does work." Ava muttered as Lola giggled and cooing looked up at Dean and mumbled what was lately becoming her favorite of few words. "Dada?"

Dean smirked, took Lola from Ava and then said "Ya both okay. Let's just get on the damn road now. We'll get a cell phone charger at a damn gas station." as they hurriedly went down the staircase and out a back exit of the hotel.

The man scowled to himself from a few cars away.. So he failed his first attempt. He'd get them at the arena, and that little jackass who was with Ava was really going to pay then for sticking his own nose into things.

Failure was not an option, the man owed a bunch of Las Vegas power players a ton of money, and if he did this for Ben? His debts would be erased and when Ben ousted Ripley out of his 'seat at the table' then maybe, just maybe he'd get a second in command seat too.

A guy had to be ambitious or he was nothing.


	16. a close call

_A Close Call  
_

_( Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying(special apologies if he is ooc in this chapter, I tried to get into his mindsets in the given situation and it was really, really hard), occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

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The car came to a stop in front of the arena and Dean stretched as he looked in the rearview mirror, then over at Ava who'd fallen asleep on the drive into town. He leaned across and nipped at her neck to wake her up. She shot up and he chuckled then said calmly, "Relax."

"Why in the hell didn't you wake me up so I could have driven?" she demanded as she looked at him, trying to fix her hair because it was sticking up in places.

"Because, babe, I don't get tired. Apparently you were." Dean said as he chuckled and nodded to the backseat where Lola lie sleeping in her car seat, mouth wide open. "I got her." he said as he got out, unbuckled her, laughing a little at her grumpy reaction to having her nap disturbed. "Ya don't like wakin up either, apparently." he muttered as he surveyed the parking lot to the arena, eyes looking for that SUV again. If he saw it, the guy was dead this time, there would be no thinking it over. Because he had no doubt in his mind that earlier? Was just a scare. Or a failed attempt to get hands on Ava and Lola.

Which pissed Dean off.

Ava got out, stretching, went to take Lola who fussed, clung to Dean sleepily. "Dada."

Dean shrugged casually, grabbed his gear bag in his free hand and slung it over his shoulder, carrying Lola into the arena, ignoring the puzzled looks he got from the others he shared a roster with. They'd probably say shit about it, but honestly?

He didn't give a damn.

Ava smiled to herself as she watched the way he handled walking past over half of the guys he shared a roster with as if his being around a child was the norm. She didn't honestly get why everyone said he was such a 'bad' guy. She'd seen and heard about the temper, yes, but she just had this feeling in her gut that most of it was put on to keep people from wanting to get to know him.

She knew he'd been hurt a lot in his life.

She'd been hurt a lot in her own life too.

When they got in the backstage area, he looked around, spotted HHH and muttered quietly, "Take Lola a second, babe. I'm gonna go talk to ya dad." as he set off for where Ava's father stood, determination in his walk and his eyes. He tapped the man on the shoulder and when HHH turned around, Dean said casually, "Just thought ya might wanna know, Hunter.. This fucking idiot in an SUV has been tailing Ava. He was at the hotel we were at when ya busted in, all but kicked down the damn door. If he shows up here tonight and somethin happens to 'em? I'm gonna go to prison."

He turned and walked off calmly, leaving HHH looking at him as he walked off. "What just happened there?" Shawn Michaels asked as HHH managed a smirk and then muttered, "That kid is starting to grow on me.. Remind me I said that when I gotta rip his arm off and beat him with it because he fucks up and hurts my girls?"

Shawn laughed and said "Hunter, buddy? Something tells me that kid's not going anywhere." as he nodded to where Dean stood, holding his granddaughter, laughing as she clapped, tried to take his baseball cap and put it on her own head. Dean took the cap and slid it on her head, sideways.

Ava groaned as she said "So.. How'd it go?"

Dean shrugged and said with a cocky grin, "Told ya dad to make sure they had plenty of police around tonight because if that jackass from the hotel shows up, he's dead. And I'm gonna go to prison."

"Hell no you are not. Damn it, you're going to.." Ava started as Dean raised a brow then said calmly, "Yeah? Well I ain't lettin him get his damn hands on either of ya either. So yeah.. if it takes me throwing his ass off the parking garage tower, babe, I'm gonna do it."

"Damn it, Dean." Ava groaned as she bit her lip and then said calmly, "This is the mob we're talking about. Not some thug wannabe."

"Same thing, is it not?" he asked as he leaned in, kissed her forehead and then said casually, "Lola, make ya ma stop worrying so damn much."

Lola laughed a little and then reached for him. "Cookie?"

He laughed and said "Maybe when I get done fighting, Lo." as he shrugged, ignoring the dirty look Ava gave him. "One cookie's not gonna kill the kid, babe."

"I know, Dean, but with you? One cookie turns into like four or something and then she's wired on sugar. And so are you."

"Am not." Dean said as he pretended to pout, pretended to be hurt. Laughing, he rolled his eyes as he watched Curtis Axel walk past him, pulling Ava closer, glaring a hole through the man.

"Tonight.. He's eatin at least three of his teeth." Dean grumbled as Ava groaned and then said "Somehow, I had the feeling that was coming."

"Yeah, well that little shit deserves it." Dean said as he scanned the backstage area, growling when he saw a guy in a trench coat slip in. Grabbing her hand, he practically dragged her down a hallway, while holding Lola and his gear bag. He burst into the men's locker room and said aloud, "Reigns? Rollins?"

His two friends looked up then walked over, walking out with Ava behind them. Lola was still being held by Dean, chattering animatedly at her 'uncles' as they talked back to her a moment. Dean's clearing his throat and giving them the look had them asking, "What's up?"

"Normally we go down and do our thing together tonight when one of us has a match.. Tonight, you guys stay your ass back here with Ava. I just saw that jackass from the hotel walk in one of the exits." Dean said quietly as his two friends nodded and then asked, "So.. Dad didn't gut you over the weekend?"

"No, but seriously? Next time you two are gonna warn someone.. Warn 'em way in advance?" Dean muttered, as his friends burst into laughter then stopped when they saw his scowl of non amusement.

"Oh damn.. He didn't.."

"If he'd have burst in about two minutes later, yeah.. He'd have seen more than he even wanted to imagine. Not that I give a damn but.. I'm kinda trying.."

"Ooh.. Is somebody actually letting their guard down?"

Dean glared then muttered quietly, " Maybe. But we all know sooner or later, she's gonna realize what a fucked up guy I am and she'll be gone too."

"Damn it, man.. If you'd just let yourself be then you wouldn't go through this constantly.. Get all of it out of your head or it's going to fuck you two up.. And trust me, Ambrose, neither of us really wants to sit back and watch you self destruct yet again." Seth said solemnly, as Roman nodded in agreement and then added, "Kids can sense that stuff, Ambrose and Lola's not the least bit scared of you. Look at her." as he nodded downward to Lola who was hugging against Dean, her arms around her neck, her head on his shoulder, looking around at the people who stood behind them.

When he heard a loud burst of laughter, he turned to find her making faces at Layla El who was making them right back. "Good girl.." he muttered as he smirked and then muttered, "But none of that shit she has on your face.. Not until ya 50. Preferably never. Don't understand why in the hell ya ma wears it, either." to himself.

Seth and Roman exchanged looks and Seth mouthed, "This is odd."

"Odd but good. He's actually semi happy." Roman mouthed back as he cleared his throat and then said "We've got Lola and Ava covered. You go down there and kick ass." as Dean nodded then walked over to Ava, pinning her against the wall, kissing her.

Why bother hiding anything? The only person whom Ava had been worrying about finding out had walked in on them in a compromising situation this weekend.. Neither of them honestly cared what anyone else might say or do or think about the two of them being together, honestly.

Even if they didn't realize that the other person felt this way, of course.

Seth and Roman looked at Ava who'd taken Lola back from Dean, who'd given her up rather reluctantly before he walked down to the ring and was playing with her, as they said "So.. That guy. Dean said he's here backstage again?"

"Yes."

Seth grumbled and said "I told you, Roman.. We should have slashed all four of the tires and removed the battery cables."

"Yeah, well I figured just the two would delay the guy at least an hour, Rollins. He might have someone helping him."

"Yeah? Well Dean has us, damn it. And there is no way in hell Ben is going to hurt either of you." Seth insisted as the group walked down the hallway, and into the green room. The match for Dean and his opponent had just started and Ava sat watching, yelling at the tv and Dean's opponent, Kofi Kingston, as Lola yelled "Get him." to Roman and Seth every time Kofi even tried to touch Dean. She tugged Seth's sleeve and said impatiently, "He huwt dada. Get him."

"I know, boo.. But see, dada wanted us to stay in here with you two." Seth explained as Ava bit her lip and then said "Damn it, if I could get my hands on a chair, Kingston I would knock you on your ass right now."

Roman chuckled and then said "He's got this, trust me.. In exactly..." right as Dean slammed Kofi to the mat, went for his finisher and then a pin, kofi staying down.

"Oh hush. I knew he had it, but damn it, that's my man down there, I did not want to see him get hit like that." Ava said as she bit her lip, looking around. She kept feeling like she were being watched, like they were being watched. "Guys? I have a weird feeling right now.." she muttered as she looked around.

No sooner had she said this than someone yelled in the hallway, and the sounds of a very loud and violent fight could be heard. As soon as she heard Dean growling and swearing and yelling, she knew what was going on and she knew that she had been being watched somehow.

Dean stepped through the curtain just as the man was about to slip into the green room. The gleam of something silver in his pocket caught Dean's eye, so naturally, Dean being paranoid like he was, he'd ran the guy down, lunged on him, knocked them both on the ground in the process. The knife came out while they were fighting, and he growled as he overpowered the determined man and snarled, "So we meet again.. Really getting a little fucking sick of you."

"Yeah? Feeling's mutual, man." the guy said as he tried to stab Dean with the knife they were jostling for possession of currently. Dean snarled and headbutting the man, he twisted his arm behind him as he flipped him over, took the knife and kicked it out of the way.

"Ya gonna fight me like a man." he demanded as he rolled him back onto his back to face him, continued working him over as he asked, "Did Ben send ya back?"

"That, sir, is none of your business. I'm here to do a job and I'm not leaving until I've done that job." the man said with a smug smirk as Dean slammed his head off of a wall and then laughing said "Wrong answer." before launching him at a table, picking him up, dropping him through it.

HHH had been watching the match, trying to figure out what Ava even saw in the guy, and almost as soon as it ended, somene knocked on his door and said "In the hallway, man, you might wanna see this."

He looked down the hallway, watched Dean fighting some guy. The kid's words from earlier came back and he grabbed the first thing he could get his hands on, ran down to help Dean out.. Shawn ran down behind him, crowing in delight.. Lately the two older men had been dying to get some kind of action, pick a fight. It looked like they just might tonight.

Wordlessly, he got the guy in the trench coat off the floor and holding him by the neck punched him in the face a few times before dropping him in a suplex onto the concrete flooring.

Dean smirked and then leaned over, pulled him up and grabbing the guys hair, sent him at a wall making sure the guys head hit the hard cinderblock wall and nothing but as he then said "Oh and tell Ben that if he wants Ava and Lola? He's gonna go through me."

"And me." HHH added firmly as he looked at Dean a moment and then smirked. Dean gave a look and a nod as he made his way over to Ava and Lola, looking at them carefully.. "He didn't touch either of ya, right?"

"No, babe."

"Good, because it ain't too late, I can go stop the guards and murder him now, end it." Dean said as Ava groaned and hugged against him, hugging her father also when he walked over. "Ambrose? No match tonight, buddy.. For one thing, you have that ladder match on Sunday.. And another, you need to hang back here. Dumb prick might come back and I have to go to a meeting for a few minutes. If anything happens, Ava has my number, it's in her phone."

Dean gaped at him as he went to walk away, stopping about halfway to turn and call out, "And Ambrose?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't make me fucking regret this. If you hurt her, kid, you're dead." HHH said as he smirked at Dean who smirked right back.

The sirens came rushing into the arena parking lot and HHH chuckled as he and Shawn turned to Dean and said "Not bad.. Maybe next time he'll show up where we have more toys to play with, huh?"

Dean shrugged and said "Hell.. I coulda taken him to the parking garage. Shoulda thrown him off the parking garage roof, personally. I'm saving that for Ben though." as Ava groaned again and the three of them, plus her father, her godfather, Roman and Seth walked over to explain what'd happened, Stephanie gaping as she came out and caught the tail end of the conversation.

She gave Dean a smile and mouthed, "If you hadn't been there, Dean." as she hugged her stepdaughter and her granddaughter and made sure they were okay. All in all, something told her she'd been right to sort of confront both Dean and Ava when they'd first met about the way they acted around one another.

Sure he wasn't the ideal guy, but hey, HHH hadn't been either when she'd fallen in love with him. And Ava seemed safer around Dean. She still worried about her stepdaughter, but..

Not nearly as much as she had when Ava had been married to Ben.


	17. surprise news

_Trial Run  
_

_( Wanna thank my readers and the readers who've been leaving me reviews. And to the anon reviewer who said I was capturing Dean's character really well, oh my god, thanks! I'm glad you liked the way I'm writing him. I really am trying(special apologies if he is ooc in this chapter, I tried to get into his mindsets in the given situation and it was really, really hard), occasionally, it's a challenge.. I thought I was fucking it up royally, I really did, so it was especially nice to hear someone tell me I wasn't. I love you all, and I'm glad you're all reading my story. This is the first thing I've ever tried posting online.)_

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She'd been sick as a dog all night almost, it was really starting to worry the normally ice cold, clear headed male who stood in the bathroom, watching her hug the toilet in front of her. He cringed and then moved to the sink, holding a rag to the back of her neck, grabbing her hair out of the way while somewhat bending and asking with a slight laugh, "You okay, Ava?"

"Hell no. What the hell was in that food?"

"I dunno, but I ate it, Seth and Kaitlyn ate it and Roman ate it." Dean muttered as he added, "Lola's awake, babe.. You go to bed. I got her." before sternly pointing her in the direction of the bed in the hotel room they were sharing again. It'd gotten to be so that every time they changed towns, he shared a suite with her and Lola.. He'd tried rooming with the guys, like he used to, but he realized with frightening clarity as he lie awake at 4 am, a pillow beside him, listening for any sign of a baby's cry, that he'd just gotten too damn used to having the two females underfoot.

This couldn't possibly be a good thing, if one were to ask him, it had to spell trouble. He couldn't be just letting her get to him like this, because sooner or later, he kept reminding himself that it'd all come to a crashing halt, because he'd do something to screw it up, inevitably.

Ava looked at him as he helped her up, then picked her up and put her in the bed, pulling the blanket up over her as he said again firmly, "I've got her, babe.. Do not move."

"Okay, yikes, grumpy." Ava said as he mentally kicked himself. Yes, he was edgy, he just wasn't sure why.. Things had been going too well for them lately, maybe? That had to be it.

Or the fact that she was sick a lot lately, and her ex husband was trying anything and everything he could to get to her, he'd even gone as far as to try and refile for sole custody of her kid, of Lola. This, of course, had really made Dean furious, and when he'd seen the guy who'd been sent to serve Ava the papers, he'd snatched them and ripped them up, then informed the courier that if Ben wanted a war, he'd just gotten it.

And then there were the not so legal routes he'd been taking, the hitman still mostly at large. He was tailing them, and he'd tried yet again to grab Ava and Lola, he'd almost left the parking garage with both of them, if Dean hadn't come out to apologize for their argument before she'd stormed off, and seen her getting tossed into the back of the dark window tinted SUV.

It'd probably taken over half of the security team, her father and her godfather, her uncle Shane and a few of the guys to pull Dean off, and even then Dean had still been trying to get loose, kill the bastard like he wanted.

They'd been arguing here and there lately, all the stress was really getting to them, and now, she was sick. And Lola seemed like she was feeling sick too, she had a runny nose tonight.

Dean picked up the little girl and said quietly, "Shhh.. Ma's sleepin, Lo.. Dada's gonna take you into the bathroom and clean off that face, though. Poor kid.." he muttered as he opened the bathroom door quietly, found a wipe in the diaper bag on the counter, worked on trying to get the caked on crud away from her nose, where she'd been sleeping and it ran.

He caught sight of her ear, noticed she was tugging at it, it was bright red. "Damn it.. You're burnin up, Lo." he swore as he felt her forehead with the back of his hand, dug around for something, any kind of medicine in the bag that might help her feel even a little better.

Meanwhile, Ava lie in the bed, trying to process what she was afraid might be happening.. They'd been fighting a lot lately, and she'd been sick lately, she'd been moody and she was late.. It could just be stress, but parts of her were sort of thinking she might be pregnant.

And if she were, what the hell was she going to do if it all suddenly got too real for Dean. What would she do if she told him what she suspected, and he took it any way but the way she hoped he'd take it?

She'd really laid it all on the line and let him get really really close to her.. And so far, he'd been a better guy than anyone gave him credit for.. But she knew that he could be a bad guy, if he chose.. Just like he knew that if she wanted, she could be as equally cold.

The light came on and she looked up, saw him pulling on jeans as he lie Lola on the bed next to her, carefully. "I'm takin both of ya to the damn hospital." he muttered as he added, "Ya both sick, I wanna know what the hell's wrong."

Ava bit her lip and paled as she said calmly and quietly, "You're mad, aren't you?"

"What? No, I'm not mad.. I'm fuckin freakin out, here babe.. We fight all the time, this shit with Ben.. And Lola's upset, she's tugging on her ear, you're always sick or moody as hell.. I figured you were mad at me. Or thinkin of leavin for a normal stable guy, or somethin.. I saw how scared ya got when me and that one jerk got in a fight earlier."

"I wasn't scared about your temper, Dean.. You didn't see it, did you?" she asked as she hurried and dressed, worked on getting Lola dressed, thankful that they were somewhat talking about what'd been going on lately with them, finally.

"No."

"The guy had a fucking gun, Dean. So yes, I was scared. I was scared that at any second, he'd kill you. I wasn't scared because you were completely losing it.. I don't blame you, babe, and hell, had it been me, and you'd have been harassed like that? I'd have done the same thing. Look at me, Dean, damn it."

"What?"

"When I made my choice that day my dad busted us.. I have not regretted a single second of this. I meant everything I told him that day."

"What did ya tell him? Cause ya haven't even tried to tell me."

"I told him that I thought I loved you." Ava said calmly as she watched him stop in mid grab for his keys, turn around and look at her with a raised brow as he asked, "And ya can't just say it?"

"Well, to be fair, neither can you."

As she said this, he looked at her, then walked over, standing behind her, his lips on her neck as she worked on dressing Lola, and he muttered quietly, "Fine.. I love ya, and it scares me. Now, you're gonna tell me why you're so damn moody lately, babe?"

"Because, Dean.. Let's just go to the doctor, okay? We'll all find out there." Ava said quietly, as she bit her lip. They drove to the ER and he took them both in, then sat in the cubicle while the doctor on call checked over Lola, and told him what he'd already figured out.. A summer cold, maybe a little bit of an ear infection. It was understandable with all the bad weather they'd been having, really.

He got the prescriptions she'd need and then he went to check on Ava, right as the doctor walked back in and proceeded to tell her, "Well, I have good news, Ava.. Your being sick all the time is normal, given your condition. You, ma'am, are pregnant."

Dean gaped at her and then the doctor and then asked quietly, "Repeat that?"

"Ava is pregnant." The doctor repeated with a smile, as he found a chair for the man standing in the doorway. Ava watched Dean's face, waiting for a sign that he was going to bolt. Instead, she found him lost in thought. Sure, he looked a little panicked, but not what she'd been afraid was going to happen.

Dean finally got his bearings and then it started to sink in and he grumbled as he pulled her up and said "That's it, damn it.. Ya gonna slow down at work. And I'm gonna make damn sure this shit ends with ya ex husband. Even if I gotta go to prison."

Ava gaped at him and calmly, with a smirk pressed the back of her hand to his forehead. He looked at her and said sarcastically, "Oh hahaha. You got jokes now, huh?"

"You.. Sound way too much like MY dad right now, babe." Ava said as she stood on tiptoes and kissed him, then turned one of his favorite phrases around on him as she took her daughter and said "Lola.. Tell dada that he's being silly, everything is going to work out, sooner or later."

"Yeah, it's damn gonna, even if I gotta kill that jerk Ben." Dean murmured as he lead them out of the ER and then asked, "So... I'm assuming you're gonna tell ya dad?"

"Oh no, babe.. We're BOTH telling my dad."

Dean grumbled and laughed a little, joking, "Make sure he's not near a sledgehammer, would ya, babe?"

"Already on it." Ava said as she leaned across and kissed him as she muttered, "Would you relax?"

"Yeah.. You try that, babe." Dean mumbled as he kissed back and then said "I meant it.. What I said back at the hotel.. Just hoping I don't mess this up."

"If you were going to, you'd have done it already, don't ya think?"

Parking in the hotel parking lot again, he unfastened Lola and then muttered, "Told that stupid doctor it was an ear infection.. Noooo.. He's gonna try and say it's not and that she might need a shot. She was a good girl though.. Didn't even cry when they gave her the shot for her cold."

"She didn't cry because you were there. She feels safe with you.. So do I. Now, are you done freaking out on me? Because we're tired, dad."

He blinked then shrugged as he said "Yeah. Let's go inside and get some sleep. That stupid shot better work or I'm gonna go back."

Ava groaned and then said "Dean, really? It's okay.. Every now and then, she's gonna get sick. This weather has been insane lately, babe. I'm surprised you're not sick."

"Well, now that ya mention it, babe.." Dean said with a smirk as he helped them onto the elevator, Lola asleep in his arms already.

"What do you want?"

"A massage?"

"You dirty, dirty man.. Your love of massages is kinda what got us in this, isn't it?"

Dean shrugged and said "Never told ya ya had to.." as he smirked at her, ducked the light punch she gave his arm, wincing mockingly as he said "Damn woman, ouch.. You really going to hit the father of your kids?"

"Ambrose? That did not hurt, babe."

"It hurt, babe.. It hurt my pride." he joked as they unlocked the hotel room, got themselves back into bed. For once that week, they all fell straight asleep, no tossing and turning, no lying awake all night worrying for either of the two adults.

Maybe their talk tonight helped.

Now if only they could get this situation with her ex husband, her stepfather out of the way, then everything would be as close to perfect as it got considering the two people in the situation.


End file.
